What are potential complications of a total hip replacement?
In most circumstances, complications after total hip replacement are uncommon but inherent to the procedure. In all likelihood you will have a normal recovery without problems. However, potential risks do include infections of the joint replacement (which can happen at any time during the life of the replacement), wound healing complications, dislocation, leg length discrepancy, loosening of the implants, fractures (during surgery or after), wear of the plastic liner, numbness around the incision, excessive blood loss requiring transfusion. Medical complications are also infrequent but include blood clots in the legs or lungs, heart attacks and strokes. This is not meant to be an all-encompassing list.
Your surgeon and the entire surgical team have worked diligently to put together a program that significantly reduces the risk of complications. Over the last few years the complication rates have definitely been reduced but the potential for complications still exist and have not been completely eliminated.