What should you know about Perthes disease operation?

The decision depends on the child’s age, hip movement, disease stage and how well the ball of the hip fits inside its socket. Many children are managed with observation, activity changes, pain relief and supervised movement; surgery is considered when maintaining hip shape and alignment needs extra help.

A surgeon may perform an osteotomy, which changes the angle or position of a bone around the hip so the joint is better contained. The procedure does not restore blood flow directly; it supports the hip during the period when the damaged bone changes and heals. X-rays and examinations help the team judge alignment, movement and healing over time. A limp can persist during recovery, and later hip stiffness or early wear can occur in some children.

Before surgery, ask which activities and weight-bearing limits apply, how school transport will work and whether crutches, a walker or a wheelchair will be needed. Afterward, follow the surgeon’s movement restrictions and attend paediatric physiotherapy to protect range of motion and rebuild strength. Keep dressings and wounds clean, give prescribed medicines as directed, and attend follow-up imaging even when pain improves.

Contact the surgical team promptly for increasing pain, fever, wound drainage, spreading redness, new numbness, a cold or unusually pale foot, or a sudden change in the child’s ability to move. Seek urgent help after a fall or injury if the leg looks shortened, rotated or severely painful. A new or worsening limp should be assessed rather than explained away as normal recovery.

Ask what finding makes an operation advisable, what bone would be repositioned, how long weight-bearing may be restricted, when physiotherapy starts, and which symptoms should trigger an urgent call.