{"id":8401,"date":"2025-10-13T10:47:25","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T10:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/news\/myths-about-hip-replacement-surgery\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T11:11:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T11:11:37","slug":"myths-about-hip-replacement-surgery","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/news\/myths-hip-replacement\/","title":{"rendered":"Myths about hip replacement surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/news\/myths-hip-replacement\/\">Hip<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/treatments\/orthopaedic\/artificial-knee-implantation\/\">knee<\/a><\/strong>, or <strong>shoulder<\/strong> endoprosthesis implantation is no longer something to fear. Thanks to <strong>minimally invasive surgical techniques<\/strong> and the use of <strong>modern, high-quality implant designs<\/strong>, patients today quickly return to their usual activities and a pain-free life.<br><br>Still, some myths persist among the public. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/treatments\/orthopaedics\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"7421\">Orthopedic surgeon<\/a> and traumatologist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/team\/7401\/\" data-type=\"team\" data-id=\"7401\">Dr. Ivan Karlak<\/a><\/strong>, Head of the Orthopedic Department at <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/priora.eu\/en\">IMC Priora<\/a><\/strong>, explains the most common misconceptions about joint replacement surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can patients return to everyday life after hip replacement?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThirty or fifty years ago, there was a belief that once a person had an artificial hip implanted, they could no longer live normally \u2014 they had to be constantly cautious, unable to squat, kneel, or run. Those are outdated notions that no longer apply.<br>The goal of hip replacement surgery is to allow the patient to return to an everyday, unrestricted life after the procedure and rehabilitation. People with artificial hips ski, play tennis, even football \u2014 there are absolutely no limitations when it comes to movement or activity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"784\" src=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-1-1024x784.jpg\" alt=\"A doctor in a white coat is speaking with a patient in the clinic.\" class=\"wp-image-7436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-1-1024x784.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-1-300x230.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-1-768x588.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-1-1536x1176.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-1-2048x1568.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How is that possible?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere are two main reasons. First, the<strong> design and materials <\/strong>of modern endoprostheses have<strong> advanced significantly<\/strong>. Second, and perhaps even more importantly, surgical techniques have evolved.<br>In the past, to implant an artificial hip, we had to cut through all the muscles to access the joint, place the prosthesis, and then stitch the muscles back together. Because of this, patients couldn\u2019t put weight on the operated leg for six to eight weeks, until the muscles fully healed. Only after that could rehabilitation begin.<br>However, once a muscle has been cut and sewn, it never regains its full original function.<br>Today, we don\u2019t cut muscles \u2014 we separate them to reach the joint and implant the prosthesis. Thanks to this approach and improved implant design, patients can <strong>stand on their operated leg with full weight on the very first postoperative day<\/strong>. Crutches are used only for balance or mild discomfort from the incision, but the patient immediately begins walking and starts intensive physical therapy to strengthen the muscles. With these techniques, postoperative pain is significantly reduced, recovery is faster, and joint function is much better than it used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1414\" src=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Priora_upute-za-pacijente-14.png\" alt=\"3D prikaz zdjelice s prirodnim lijevim kukom i ugra\u0111enim umjetnim kukom na desnoj strani, s metalnom femoralnom protezom i acetabularnom \u010da\u0161icom.\" class=\"wp-image-8247\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How long does a hip endoprosthesis last?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA high-quality hip prosthesis today lasts <strong>more than 25 years<\/strong>. It is a long-term and reliable solution that allows patients to live normally for two or even three decades. When the implant eventually wears out, it can be replaced \u2014 just like any other worn part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Does physical activity cause faster wear of the prosthesis?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo. That is another myth that needs to be dispelled. <strong>Physical activity does not accelerate wear.<\/strong> I always encourage my patients to live normally and forget they even have an artificial hip. When issues arise years later, we\u2019ll deal with them then. Who knows where medicine will be in 25 years?<br><br>The goal of hip replacement surgery is to help patients live freely and without limitations. Thanks to new surgical methods and prosthetic designs, it is now even possible to <strong>replace both hips during a single procedure<\/strong>. This is much more convenient for the patient \u2014 one anesthesia, one recovery, and a complete return to everyday life after rehabilitation. <strong>Hip replacement is a low-risk procedure<\/strong>, with complications occurring in less than one percent of cases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"775\" src=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-2-1024x775.jpg\" alt=\"A man and a woman in white uniforms are talking in a doctor\u2019s office, next to a desk with papers and a computer.\" class=\"wp-image-7438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-2-1024x775.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-2-300x227.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-2-768x581.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-2-1536x1163.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ortopedija-dr.-Ivan-Karlak-2-2048x1550.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hip, knee, or shoulder endoprosthesis implantation is no longer something to fear. Thanks to minimally invasive surgical techniques and the use of modern, high-quality implant designs, patients today quickly return to their usual activities and a pain-free life. Still, some myths persist among the public. Orthopedic surgeon and traumatologist Dr. Ivan Karlak, Head of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7586,"template":"","news-category":[20],"class_list":["post-8401","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-category-for-patients"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/8401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.priora.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-category?post=8401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}