Robotic hip replacement surgery (direct anterior approach)

Fewer than after other approaches. Because no muscle is detached and the joint is entered from the front, the classic restrictions — not bending past 90 degrees, not crossing the legs — are usually relaxed or dropped. Most patients are asked to avoid forcing the leg backwards and outwards in the early weeks and to use a walker, then a stick, until their balance is confident. The specific advice for your hip is given before surgery.

Day 0–1: standing and walking with a walker. Weeks 1–2: short walks at home, stairs with support, the wound checked. Weeks 2–6: walking distance builds, usually from walker to stick; many patients walk unaided by six weeks. Weeks 6–12: normal household and outdoor activity, driving once cleared. Three to twelve months: strength and endurance keep improving. The scar sits at the front of the hip, roughly along the line of a bikini, and is typically 8–12 cm long.

In its early stages, sometimes. Before the ball of the hip has collapsed, treatment aims to preserve the joint: reducing load, treating the cause where there is one (steroid use, alcohol), medication, and joint-preserving procedures such as core decompression in selected patients. Once the femoral head has collapsed — which is how AVN is usually found in Pune, often in younger patients — hip replacement is the reliable option, and the direct anterior approach suits these patients well.

Hip resurfacing keeps more of the thigh bone but uses a metal-on-metal bearing and is now used only in a narrow group of patients, mostly younger men with large bones; it is not suitable for most patients, for women, or for anyone with weak bone. Modern total hip replacement with a ceramic or highly cross-linked plastic bearing lasts well and is the standard option; which, if either, suits you is part of the consultation.

A chair with arms and a seat no lower than knee height makes standing up easier in the early weeks, and a raised toilet seat is worth arranging before surgery if your toilet is low or Indian-style. A special bed is not needed. After an anterior approach the restrictions on sitting are fewer, but a very low sofa or floor sitting is still best avoided in the first months.

It depends on the implant and bearing chosen, whether robotic assistance is used, the hospital room category and the length of stay. Most health insurance policies cover hip replacement for arthritis or avascular necrosis, usually cashless at the hospital after the insurer's waiting period. A written estimate is given after the consultation, once the approach and implant for your hip are decided.

It is the route the surgeon takes into the hip: from the front, between the muscles, rather than from the side or back through them. Because no muscle is cut or detached, most patients walk sooner, have fewer restrictions on how they sit and lie, and a lower risk of the new hip dislocating. Combined with robotic planning of the socket position and leg length, it is how hip replacements are done at this practice in Pune.

Most modern hip implants last 20 years or more. Longevity depends on age, weight, activity, and bone quality.

Depending on the surgical approach used, you may be asked to avoid bending the hip past 90 degrees, crossing your legs, or twisting on the leg for the first several weeks. Your surgeon will give you the specific precautions that apply to your operation.

These positions put the hip into the exact ranges that carry the highest risk of dislocation, so they are usually discouraged, especially in the early months. Many patients arrange a raised toilet seat before surgery. Discuss your home setup with your surgeon beforehand.

Yes. Caught early, before the bone collapses, avascular necrosis may be treatable with procedures that aim to preserve the joint. Once the ball of the hip has collapsed, replacement is usually the reliable option.

Short local journeys are usually fine within a few weeks. For long flights or train journeys, ask your surgeon — the main concern is the risk of blood clots from sitting still for long periods.