Clear, evidence-based answers to the questions patients most often ask about hip and knee replacement.
With modern implants and materials, roughly 90% of hip and knee replacements are still working well at 20 years, and registry data projects excellent durability beyond that. Most people can expect their new joint to last the rest of their life.
Replacement is considered when osteoarthritis pain clearly limits your daily life — sleep, walking, work or the things you love — despite a fair trial of non-surgical care. It's a quality-of-life decision we make together, not something dictated by an X-ray alone.
For osteoarthritis, first-line treatment is not surgery: exercise and physiotherapy to strengthen the muscles around the joint, weight management, and pain relief to stay active. Many people get real, lasting relief without an operation.
Modern anaesthesia and multimodal pain relief mean most patients are comfortable and up walking within hours of surgery. Some discomfort during early recovery is normal, but it is well managed and improves steadily.
Many suitable patients now do. Day-case joint replacement is safe for well-selected patients in good general health with support at home; for others, a planned overnight stay is the wiser choice. Suitability is assessed individually.
Most people walk with aids the same day, move around comfortably within a few weeks, and feel largely back to normal by about three months — with improvement continuing for up to a year or more. Full, comprehensive recovery can take one to two years, and everyone heals at their own pace.
It depends on your job: many people with desk-based work return within a few weeks, while physically demanding jobs may need one to three months. We plan this individually before surgery.
Usually when you can move the leg safely, are off strong pain medication, and could perform an emergency stop — often a few weeks, sooner for a left hip or knee in an automatic car. Always confirm with your surgeon first.
Modern replacements allow a very active life. Low-impact activities — walking, cycling, swimming, water exercise and golf — are encouraged from early on; broader activities such as gym work and skiing come as you get stronger, and higher-impact options like running are usually possible once you've fully recovered (often around four months). There are far fewer restrictions than people expect — the guiding rule is to progress within your comfort.
Yes — most people return to their sport, often more comfortably than before. Low-impact activities like golf, swimming, cycling and hiking are ideal and come first; higher-impact activities such as running are typically possible once you've fully recovered (often from around four months), guided by your comfort and your surgeon's advice.
Joint replacement is one of the safest and most successful operations in medicine, but no surgery is risk-free. The main risks — infection, blood clots, hip dislocation and rarely implant problems — are uncommon, and much of our effort goes into preventing them.
Yes — in the private pathway you can usually be assessed and, if appropriate, operated on without a long queue, at a time that suits you. We plan the whole pathway around you, including day-case options where suitable.
I use well-established implants with strong long-term registry track records, chosen to fit your anatomy and needs rather than by novelty. Proven durability matters more than the newest device.
Robotic tools are a promising aid, but current evidence does not show they give patients better long-term results than careful, experienced conventional technique. I focus on the fundamentals that are proven to make a replacement last.
Yes — early movement and guided exercises are a key part of a good result. You'll get a clear rehabilitation plan, and most of the work is simple exercises you do yourself at home.
A partial (unicompartmental) replacement resurfaces only the worn part of the knee and suits selected patients with damage in one compartment; a total replacement addresses the whole joint. Which suits you depends on the pattern of your arthritis.
It sometimes can, though modern scanners are less sensitive to implants. Just mention it to security if asked; a special certificate is generally not needed.
Staying active, strengthening the muscles around the joint, not smoking, and getting other health conditions well controlled all improve your result and speed recovery. Small steps in the weeks before surgery make a real difference.
Contact your care team promptly if you have increasing redness, warmth or discharge from the wound, fever, calf pain or swelling, or sudden breathlessness. These are uncommon, but worth acting on early.
Age alone rarely rules it out; general health and how much the joint limits your life matter more. For younger patients we weigh long implant lifespan carefully, and for older patients the operation is often very well tolerated.