What happens during a broken hip operation?

The exact procedure depends mainly on where the thigh bone has broken and whether the pieces have moved. The anaesthesia, medical, surgical, nursing, and rehabilitation teams coordinate care around the person's wider health needs.

Fractures below or through the trochanteric region are commonly stabilised with a rod, screw, or plate system. Breaks through the femoral neck may be fixed with screws or treated by replacing the femoral head; the socket may also be replaced in selected patients.

Metalwork holds the bone in a useful position while healing occurs. Joint replacement removes fractured bone that may not heal reliably and creates a new bearing surface. Each method has different movement instructions, wound considerations, and follow-up needs.

Before surgery, staff review medicines, allergies, heart and breathing health, blood results, and imaging. Tell them about blood-thinning medicines, dental appliances, implanted devices, and any previous reaction to anaesthesia. Follow the hospital's instructions on food, drink, and regular medication.

Afterwards, the team manages pain, the wound, hydration, and blood-clot prevention. Begin breathing exercises, transfers, and walking practice when instructed. Use the specified walking aid and place only the permitted load through the leg. Continue prescribed rehabilitation after discharge.

Get emergency help for sudden breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting, coughing blood, or a severe new change in alertness. Seek rapid assessment after another fall, sudden loss of leg function, a newly shortened or rotated leg, or intense pain that does not respond to the agreed medicine plan.

Call the treating service about fever, pus or fluid from the incision, spreading redness, opening wound edges, a swollen painful calf, or new numbness. Persistent vomiting, inability to pass urine, or rapidly worsening confusion also deserves prompt review.

Confirm the name of the operation, the weight-bearing instruction, any hip movement precautions, and the wound-care method. Ask who arranges physiotherapy, when follow-up occurs, which medicines continue at home, and what equipment is needed for sleeping, bathing, and toileting.