The Orthopaedic team is committed to providing the highest standard of safe, personal and effective care available.
New and advanced treatment options are frequently incorporated in this rapidly changing field. Surgery for the majority of patients will be undertaken at Burnley General Hospital. For those patients who may need an intensive care unit or high dependency unit surgery will be undertaken at Royal Blackburn Hospital.
Our team at East Lancashire NHS Trust The surgical team is supported by a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) of Anaesthetists, Dieticians, Doctors and Enhanced Recovery Nurse, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists and Theatre Staff.
An Anaesthetist is a doctor who will be responsible for your well-being before, during and after the operation. This includes monitoring your blood pressure, pulse, temperature, breathing, fluid and blood replacement as required. They will also administer the form of anaesthesia that you will need during the operation. Your Anaesthetist will advise you on which type of anaesthesia would be most appropriate to you.
Dieticians are health professionals who oversee and manage your nutritional requirements during your stay and recovery where needed.
There are various levels of doctors that you may see on the ward, ranging from a junior doctor to a consultant surgeon.
An enhanced recovery lead nurse works in all specialities with all members of the multi-disciplinary team. They all work together to ensure they provide a safe and effective enhanced recovery programme suitable for each patient. They are continually collecting data and asking for feedback from our patients about their hospital stay giving us the information we need to keep adapting and improving.
Nursing staff have different levels of expertise within the ward. Experienced qualified nurses will be able to make decisions with regards to your nursing care.
Occupational Therapy provides guidance with personal care, mobility, home management (shopping, cooking), vocational activity (employment) and leisure activities.
Physiotherapy is a health care profession which provides services to help people affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education and advice.
Therapy assistants support the delivery of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy treatment and work in an integrated way to deliver the best care to you. They are supported by a qualified Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist.
The Pharmacist is fully qualified and registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The pharmacist visits all the wards and checks drug charts for legibility, safety and effectiveness of each drug prescribed by the doctor. The pharmacist will also check for any drug interactions and dispense any new prescribed items and your tablets to take home.
Theatre Staff work with patients and are involved in every stage of a person’s operation including before your operation, assisting the anaesthetist, assisting the Surgeon during your operation and recovery after your operation.
The Hip
The hip joint is a ball and socket joint between the top of the pelvis which lies deep in the groin. It consists of a ball (femoral head) at the top of your thigh bone
(femur) and a socket (acetabulum) in your pelvis.
The surfaces of the ball and socket are covered by a smooth, low friction material called articular cartilage which, cushions the bones and lets them move easily. However, this can become worn and thin, a process known as osteoarthritis.
Hip function
The hip joint bears the full weight of your body. In fact, when you walk the force transmitted through your hip can be up to 3 times your body weight. As well as transmitting weight, the hip needs to be able to move freely to enable you to function normally.
Ligaments and muscles help keep the ball within the socket whilst allowing a large range of movement. Muscles surround the hip such as your buttock (gluteal) and thigh muscles (quads) are also important in keeping your hip strong and preventing a limp.
When the hip becomes arthritic
As we get older most people will have “wear and tear” arthritis of the hip. Some people will have a different form of arthritis known as rheumatoid. This also involves other joints.
Factors that may contribute to having arthritis include; obesity, accidents, vigorous sport or a family history. In osteoarthritis, (wear and tear), certain changes occur in the joint:
• The smooth cartilage becomes flaky and develops small cracks
• The bone underneath the cartilage becomes denser
• The lining of the joint becomes inflamed and may thicken up
As the arthritis progresses, there may be:
• Severe wear of the cartilage allowing the bones to rub and grate together
• Loss of the joint space
• Formation of bony lumps called osteophytes
These changes may result in PAIN, LOSS OF MOVEMENT and LOSS OF MUSCLE POWER
Hip Replacement
The worn part of your hip joint is replaced with an artificial joint made of surgical
quality stainless steel or ceramic. A plastic (polyethylene) liner is usually used. Some
can be used with orthopaedic cement; others have a special coating that binds
with the bone instead. Your Surgeon will choose the most appropriate type of hip replacement for you.
The combination of metal and plastic means the joint has low friction, wears very slowly and moves easily with your weight on it. You may be surprised how heavy it feels but it has to last over 10 years.
Why do I need a hip replacement?
You may have pain which at times is severe and disabling making it difficult or impossible to carry out normal daily activities. You cannot walk very far now and may have to use a stick. Stairs can be very difficult.
The main reason for recommending a hip replacement is pain or loss of function due to arthritis. The aims of the hip replacement are to relieve the pain from your hip and enable you to carry out your normal activities more comfortably.
Patient Guide: Total Hip Replacement
For more information on total hip replacements, view our patient guide below. Download your own copy by clicking the link below (please note this PDF isn't in an accessible format).
Alternatively, download the EIDO Total Hip Replacement PDF leaftlet.