10 Questions to Ask Your Hip Replacement Surgeon Before You Agree to Surgery
A patient came to me for a second opinion last year. He’d been told by another surgeon to book surgery within two weeks. He hadn’t been shown his X-ray. He hadn’t been told which implant would be used. He hadn’t been given the opportunity to ask any questions.
He was understandably confused and, honestly, quite frightened.
I spent an hour with him. By the end, he understood his diagnosis, his options, the surgical plan, the implant choice, and what his recovery would look like. He had surgery with me three weeks later — not because I pressured him, but because he’d finally been given enough information to make the decision himself.
That’s what a pre-operative consultation should look like. You are entitled to every piece of information you need to consent to this procedure with full understanding. Here are the ten questions I recommend every patient ask — along with my own honest answers to each.
1. How Many Hip Replacements Do You Perform Per Year?
Volume matters in joint replacement surgery. Studies consistently show that surgeons and hospitals with higher annual volumes have better outcomes — fewer complications, lower infection rates, more consistent implant positioning. There’s no universally agreed “minimum” number, but I’d be comfortable with a surgeon performing at least 50 primary hip replacements annually.
My answer: I perform over 80 hip replacements per year at Fortis Mohali, and have done so for the past six years. Ask your surgeon directly. A confident, experienced and Best Hip Replacement Surgeon in Chandigarh will answer without hesitation.
2. Do You Use Robotic Assistance? Why or Why Not?
Robotic-assisted surgery is not universally available, and not every case requires it. But it’s worth asking, because the answer tells you something about the surgeon’s investment in precision and current technology.
My answer: I use the Stryker Mako robotic system for hip replacements. It provides CT-based pre-operative planning and intra-operative haptic guidance for implant positioning. For most primary hip replacements, the improvement in outcome is meaningful particularly for younger patients and complex anatomy. It makes a good surgeon more consistent, not a mediocre surgeon great.
3. What Implant Will You Use and Why Did You Choose It?
Implants vary enormously in quality, longevity data, and cost. A good surgeon should be able to explain which implant they use, why they prefer it over alternatives, and what the evidence says about its performance.
Be cautious if a surgeon cannot explain their implant choice, or if the answer is primarily cost-driven. The implant will be in your body for 20+ years. Its quality matters.
My answer: I primarily use cementless implants with ceramic-on-polyethylene or ceramic-on-ceramic bearings depending on patient age and activity level, from established manufacturers with long-term registry data.
4. What Surgical Approach Do You Use?
There are several approaches to hip replacement — posterior, anterolateral, direct anterior, and others. Each has advantages and disadvantages, and each surgeon typically specialises in one primary approach.
The “best” approach is largely the one your surgeon is most experienced with. What matters more than the approach itself is consistent experience and clear reasoning for its use in your specific case.
My answer: I primarily use a minimally invasive posterior approach, with attention to posterior capsule repair to reduce dislocation risk.
5. What Are My Specific Risks Given My Medical History?
General surgical risk statistics are less useful than your specific risk. A fit 55-year-old has a very different risk profile from a 72-year-old with hypertension, diabetes, and prior cardiac history.
Your surgeon should review your medical history — not just your hip — and give you a personalised risk assessment. If you’re not given one, ask specifically: “Given my age, weight, and medical conditions, what are my personal risks for this operation?”
6. What Is Your Infection Rate for Joint Replacement?
Periprosthetic joint infection is the most feared complication of hip replacement. It’s rare — the best centres report rates below 1% — but devastating when it occurs, often requiring removal and reimplantation of the entire prosthesis.
A surgeon who takes infection seriously will know their own rate and should be willing to share it. They should also be able to explain their prevention protocols: peri-operative antibiotics, laminar flow OT, antiseptic prep, wound management.
7. What Hospital Will the Surgery Be Done At, and What Is the ICU Backup?
The hospital environment matters as much as the surgeon for joint replacement. You need to know that if something goes wrong post-operatively — a cardiac event, a respiratory complication, an anaesthetic reaction — there is an equipped intensive care unit and emergency response.
My answer: I operate at Fortis Hospital Mohali. NABH accredited, with a full ICU, cardiac care, blood bank, and 24-hour in-house specialist cover.
8. What Is the Plan If I Need Revision Surgery in 15 Years?
This question is particularly important for younger patients. Ask your surgeon: do you perform revision hip replacement, or would you refer me elsewhere? What implant choices now make future revision more straightforward?
A surgeon who has thought about your long-term joint health — not just the immediate surgery — is the right kind of surgeon.
9. What Does My Specific Recovery Look Like?
Generic recovery timelines are a starting point, not a plan. Your recovery depends on your age, fitness, body weight, the condition of your muscles going in, and your home situation. Ask for a personalized recovery expectation.
Specifically: when can I drive? When can I return to work? When can I travel by plane? When can I return to the specific activities you value — golf, gardening, pilates, whatever matters to you personally.
10. Can I Speak to a Previous Patient of Yours?
This is the question patients are often reluctant to ask. They shouldn’t be. Any experienced surgeon who is confident in their outcomes will have former patients willing to speak to prospective ones. Patient-to-patient conversation provides a quality of reassurance that no OPD consultation can fully replicate.
I regularly connect prospective patients — with consent — to former patients of similar age, activity level, and diagnosis. The conversation that results is usually more calming than anything I can say.
CTA: Bring this list to your consultation. Bring it to mine. I’ll answer every question. OPD: Tuesday and Thursday at Fortis Hospital Mohali. Call +91 79735 06344.
