“Will my hip replacement put me at risk for heart disease?”
There's history of heart disease in my family (father's side). Currently I don't experience any heart or blood pressure issues. I've been given clearance by my primary physician for my hip replacement, but am I really 100% safe? What can a hip replacement mean for my heart?
13 Answers
You say there is heart disease on your father's side. Do you mean coronary artery narrow, heart attacks, requirement of opening blood vessels with angioplasty, bypass etc.
Just having a hip replacement, should not increase the risk for your developing heart disease. But if you have preexistent critical narrowing, any major surgery puts your heart at further stress.
Also, if you have pre-existent other structural heart disease, you have to make sure you have no gum disease/infection, which can cause infection in the heart and new artificial joint.
Seems you are otherwise healthy, but cautious person. You should be fine. Lastly, remember, start moving after surgery as soon as the surgeon tells you too, because immobility post surgery can cause blood clots in the legs to go to the heart and lungs. Not good. Lastly, take deep breaths on the hour post op, to prevent pneumonia.
All the best to a new painfree life after hip surgery.
sk
Just having a hip replacement, should not increase the risk for your developing heart disease. But if you have preexistent critical narrowing, any major surgery puts your heart at further stress.
Also, if you have pre-existent other structural heart disease, you have to make sure you have no gum disease/infection, which can cause infection in the heart and new artificial joint.
Seems you are otherwise healthy, but cautious person. You should be fine. Lastly, remember, start moving after surgery as soon as the surgeon tells you too, because immobility post surgery can cause blood clots in the legs to go to the heart and lungs. Not good. Lastly, take deep breaths on the hour post op, to prevent pneumonia.
All the best to a new painfree life after hip surgery.
sk
The hip replacement will not give you heart disease. The issues with a hip replacement are that you will be sedentary and can cause blood clots. Your doctor will give you some type of pills to thin your blood in order to lower the risks.
Dr. DeLaRosa
Dr. DeLaRosa
Nobody is EVER 100% safe. All surgeries entail risk. General Anesthesia puts stress on the heart. If you have underlying heart disease this can be silent under normal circumstances but when one has surgery the stress of the surgery can provoke a heart attack. The preoperative risk assessment is designed to give doctors an idea of how high a risk the patient has. But there is no way to be 100% certain of the risk.
The risk is based on your risk profile. From what you are describing based upon your medical history alone in your question seems to be low but a lot of other factors need to considered also.
Julia G. Ansari
Cardiologist
There is no way any surgery or procedure or anything in life can be 100% safe. We look at risk factors and symptoms prior to clearing someone for surgery so you do have one risk factor which is your family history. But if you don't have diabetes, kidney disease, poorly controlled hypertension, and other risk factors and you are someone active and have no other symptoms, you are considered low risk and don't need any other workup.
Even patients that are moderate or high risk and have a normal stress test can have a spontaneous plaque rupture during surgery, which is impossible to predict, so can anyone be 100% safe? No, but if due to hip pain you are not mobile and quality of life is compromised, then you are putting yourself in a worse place.
Even patients that are moderate or high risk and have a normal stress test can have a spontaneous plaque rupture during surgery, which is impossible to predict, so can anyone be 100% safe? No, but if due to hip pain you are not mobile and quality of life is compromised, then you are putting yourself in a worse place.
My answer is qualified. If you are young (<40 years), relatively active taking into account hip problem, no chest pain or shortness of breath and have no other risk factors i.e. Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, any history of smoking then your perioperative risk of heart related complications is very low (<5%). Final decision will be by your doctor and surgeon.
Hidden heart disease is fairly prevalent. Dr. Gruentzig used to say the first symptom of heart disease is sudden death in about 30% of patients. For that reason, when I clear somebody for major surgery or general anesthesia, I recommend an exercise, or chemical, stress test is indicated. Patients rarely die from heart reasons, if they pass this test.
Hi how are you? Yes if you have no medical issues ( cardiac) in particular, and prior to your hip you ambulated well than you as a patient is low risk, the operation as ortopedic is intermediate risk , if you truly need the operation, you should be fine, only test I would do from a cardiac point of view are an ekg , and echo at most , overall your good to go
A hip replacement will not cause heart disease but it might show up heart disease that is already there (but not known about) as it is quite stressful for the body.=20
Also, having arthritis may be limiting your activity and can therefore mask an angina problem which would only occur if you walked fast uphill =E2=80=93 this could become apparent when you are able to do more exercise after you have recovered from your hip surgery.
Nothing in life is 100% safe! The biggest cardiovascular risk with hip surgery is DVT and pulmonary embolism (blood clots forming in your lower leg and travelling to your lungs) and your surgeon should advise you on how to minimise this risk.
I hope it all goes well.
Jonathan
Also, having arthritis may be limiting your activity and can therefore mask an angina problem which would only occur if you walked fast uphill =E2=80=93 this could become apparent when you are able to do more exercise after you have recovered from your hip surgery.
Nothing in life is 100% safe! The biggest cardiovascular risk with hip surgery is DVT and pulmonary embolism (blood clots forming in your lower leg and travelling to your lungs) and your surgeon should advise you on how to minimise this risk.
I hope it all goes well.
Jonathan
If you can walk up a flight or two of stairs without any cardiac symptoms then you should be fine. (i.e. no chest pain or significant shortness of breath) This is equivalent to 4 mets or more and this it the cutoff for most surgeons to do surgery. As long as you do not have significant risks like hypertension, diabetes or tobacco use and your baseline EKG is normal, I think your Primary's opinion is accurate.
No surgery can cause a heart problem. However if you have a heart condition, even one you are not aware of, that can be apparent during the stress of surgery. A stress test can be done prior to surgery to help assess your risk, but generally that is not done unless you have heart problems, symptoms of heart disease, or an abnormal EKG. Please take this as general advice. Your situation and risk must be assessed in person by your physician.
Your only risk is the anesthesia during surgery. Thereafter, your orthopedic surgeon inform you of the routine complications of the hip replacement, but your heart should not be an issue if your primary physician cleared you.
L. R. Fleischer, MD
L. R. Fleischer, MD
Hip surgery will be a short term stressor to the body. Any stress puts a heart at some risk. Cigarettes, diabetes, high cholesterol, a diet rich in animal-based protein and fat, lack of exercise, mental stress, lack of sleep; the list goes on.
The longer the stress continues, the greater the risk.
Hip surgery will cause pain and there might be some blood loss. These are all short-term risks. Having pain in the hip and not being able to move well are risks as well that may have more overall risk over time.
If you are not having active symptoms of heart disease, the surgery might lower risk over the long haul if there are no complications.
You will have less pain, exercise more, keep the weight off, sleep better, and feel happier. These factors in my opinion would help your heart risk long term. Nothing is risk free. Obtain opinions of others, pray, and be well informed.
I hope this answer helps.
My prayers are with you.
JMarcum MD
The longer the stress continues, the greater the risk.
Hip surgery will cause pain and there might be some blood loss. These are all short-term risks. Having pain in the hip and not being able to move well are risks as well that may have more overall risk over time.
If you are not having active symptoms of heart disease, the surgery might lower risk over the long haul if there are no complications.
You will have less pain, exercise more, keep the weight off, sleep better, and feel happier. These factors in my opinion would help your heart risk long term. Nothing is risk free. Obtain opinions of others, pray, and be well informed.
I hope this answer helps.
My prayers are with you.
JMarcum MD
