Where in Dubai
Dr. Subhash Ushakoyala, Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeon, sees patients with painful or failing hip replacements at Grand Infinity Medical Center in Al Muteena, Deira, Dubai. If your first hip replacement was done elsewhere, in Dubai or abroad, bring the operation notes, the implant details or sticker if you have them, and all your X-rays. Knowing which implant was used helps plan a revision.
What is revision hip replacement surgery?
Most hip replacements work well for many years, and modern ones are designed to last at least 15 years. Over time, though, a replacement can fail. A revision is a second operation in which the surgeon removes some or all of the parts and fits new ones. Common reasons are the parts working loose from the bone, wear of the plastic liner, infection, a hip that keeps dislocating, and a broken bone around the implant after a fall. Wear particles can also cause the bone around the implant to thin. Revision is longer and more complex than a first hip replacement. It often needs special implants, metal pieces or bone graft to make up for lost bone.
Who it can help
- A hip replacement that has become painful again after a good period.
- A replaced hip that has dislocated more than once.
- Signs of infection: a hot, red or leaking wound, fever, or new pain.
- A broken thighbone or pelvis around a hip replacement, often after a fall.
- X-rays that show the parts loosening, the liner wearing, or bone thinning around the implant.
How Dr. Subhash approaches it
Dr. Subhash lists total hip replacement and the revision of failed joint replacements among the operations he does. He trained in hip and knee replacement on a fellowship in 2016 and attended a hip replacement course in 2018. With a failing hip, his first step is to find the cause, because infection is treated very differently from loosening or dislocation. He reviews your old records and tests, then explains what a revision would involve before any decision.
What to expect
Finding the cause
He examines the hip and reviews your operation notes and X-rays. Blood tests, and sometimes fluid drawn from the hip with a needle, check for infection. A CT, MRI or bone scan may be needed.
Deciding together
He explains which parts need changing, whether one or two operations are likely, the risks and the recovery. You decide.
Health checks
Because revision is a bigger operation, a full medical check comes first. Heart and other long-term conditions may need a specialist review.
The operation
Under a general or spinal anaesthetic, the old parts are removed and new ones fitted, with bone rebuilt where needed. It often takes several hours.
If there is infection
Sometimes the implant is removed and a temporary antibiotic spacer placed, with antibiotics through a drip for some weeks, before a new hip is fitted.
Recovery and follow-up
You stay in hospital for several days. Physiotherapy starts early, and he follows your progress at planned visits.
Recovery, in general terms
Every patient is different. These are typical milestones, not a promise; your own plan comes from your consultation.
- Recovery is usually slower than after a first hip replacement.
- A frame or crutches for the first weeks, sometimes with limits on how much weight the leg can take.
- Help at home with daily tasks for several weeks.
- Daily exercises over several months to rebuild strength and walking.
Risks to know about
- Infection, blood clots in the leg or lung, and damage to nerves or blood vessels.
- Dislocation of the new hip, or a difference in leg length.
- A higher chance of complications than a first hip replacement, because the operation is longer.
When to book a visit
Book a visit if a hip replacement has become painful, unstable or noisy, even years after the operation. Call the clinic the same day for a high temperature or shivers, or redness, swelling or pain in the hip or leg that is getting worse. Go to emergency care straight away if you have pain and swelling in the hip or leg and you are finding it hard to breathe.
Where to book
Dr. Subhash sees patients at Grand Infinity Medical Center in Al Muteena, Deira, in north-east Dubai. The clinic is at Shop No. 4, next to the Grand Excelsior Hotel.
Grand Infinity Medical Center
Shop No. 4, next to Grand Excelsior Hotel, Al Muteena, Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
DirectionsCall +971 58 599 7460WhatsApp
Questions patients ask
My hip replacement was done in another country. Can it be revised in Dubai?
It can be assessed and planned in Dubai. Bring every record from the first operation. If the details of the implant are missing, ask the hospital that did it for the operation note before your visit.
Why does a hip replacement fail?
The common reasons are loosening of the parts from the bone, wear of the plastic liner, infection, repeated dislocation, and a fracture around the implant. People who had their first hip young may outlive it and need a revision later.
Does an infected hip replacement always need two operations?
Not always. Some infections are treated by washing out the hip and changing the ball and liner. Others need the implant removed, a temporary antibiotic spacer, and a new hip fitted later. The choice depends on how long the infection has been present and how severe it is.
Is revision harder to recover from than the first hip replacement?
Usually, yes. The operation is longer, the hospital stay is often longer, and recovery is slower. He explains what to expect for your case before you decide.
Book an appointment
His nurse answers the phone and WhatsApp.