My wife suffers from Parkinson’s and needs surgery to replace her hip joint. She is worried that her condition will become worse or she may not be able to have the operation carried out. Has anyone suffering from Parkinson’s had this operation and was it successful?.
Hi Budgie,
A warm welcome to the forum.
I appreciate that this must be a worrisome time for you and your wife. I’m sure you’ll receive a lot of helpful advice from the forum community, however, you may be interested to know that we have a helpline service where you or your wife can speak to a Parkinson’s specialist.
They will be more than happy to answer any queries or concerns that you may have - you can reach them at 0808 800 0303.
I do hope you find the information above useful.
Many thanks,
Reah
Hi Budgie, my mother who had pd had both hips replaced and one of her knees, no problem.
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Hi Budgie, I have Parkinson’s (3 years since diagnosis). In October 2016 I had my left hip replaced. I was fine and it as difinitely the right choice for me… However, I don’t take any medication… which may be the crucial element (?). I asked for advice from the nurse at the Parkison’s UK website - and would recommend that you do similar. Remember we are all very different!
PS good luck… (I had to have mine done as the pain was so severe).
7 years later - and I have the same question. I think my Parkinson’s gait has pushed forward this need - dystonia / my wonky left leg on top of osteoarthritis made the pain appear sooner than normal.
They x-ray the leg and say it isn’t time yet - but now with Vyalev/Produodopa I am pretty much always “on” except for the dystonia caused by the hip and maybe some si joint stuff too. My back surgeon says SI joint doesn’t cause pain - so I guess there is little nerve involvement? I think he over simplifies things, but assuming this is true - my remaining pain and dystonia is cased by the hip. nine years since diagnoses.
Hi Dkdc, we’re sorry to hear that you might be in need of a hip replacement. We understand how difficult this can be to come to terms with, and we’re here for you if you need us.
Our free, confidential helpline is available to anyone affected by Parkinson’s. Our trained advisers can offer support and advice, and you can ask to speak to one of our Parkinson’s nurses: 0808 800 0303.
We’re sure our friendly community will also share their thoughts and experiences with you.
Sending all our love,
The Parkinson’s UK Moderation Team
I understand your worry, I have had PD for 10 years and developed severe pain from arthritis in my left hip,
I had a left total hip replacement on 3/3/26 and today. 1/5/26 I am pain free and walking most of the time without a walking aid, I sometimes use a stick when outside just to help my confidence. I have started aqua aerobics and cycling,
So my experience has been very positive. In the 2 months running up to surgery I spent time having personal trainer sessions in a swimming pool to maximise the tone and power and stability in my hip muscles and i feel.this helped a lot in my recovery. I am 8 weeks post op and am totally pain free from my hip arthritis, Age 72,
It was the closest thing to a miracle i have ever experienced, I had a spinal anaesthetic with sedation and remember virtually nothing of the operation except two heavy hammer blows to the femoral component of the joint.They were not painful but the sensation awoke me from my slumbers.
So as far as i am concerned, i would not hesitate to have my other hip done if i was experiencing pain from arthritis
if you want to ask me anything please feel free to message me.
Hi
I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 5 years ago, and had posterior right hip replacement surgery 18 months ago.
My recovery was initially as rapid as most people but then slowed. I was still getting pain deep in the muscle when I over-exercised it until about 6 weeks ago when I noticed it had gone. My right hip and leg are still weaker than my left, a consequence of this is that I get rhs hip pain and a sensation like a bass string being plucked as my PD meds wear off. This is transient and nothing like as awful and disabling as the arthritic pain I had before. I also limp and drag my right leg a bit when meds are low eg late evening. With luck these will get better too.
Surgeon at discharge said he tells most people to expect improvement for a year post-op. For people with PD he said its more than a year but how much more he couldn’t say. I’m at 18 months now and there’s space for a little more improvement yet, things were still getting better up to 6 weeks ago so I’m hopeful.
For me it was definitely worth it since my arthritis was so bad I could barely walk. As always with anything PD related, physio is vital. If you have any questions do message me.
Hi, @Drew1.
I’m sure this will be so helpful to read - thank you for coming back and sharing your experience.
It’s brilliant to hear how well you’ve recovered and that you’re now pain-free and back to doing things like cycling and aqua aerobics - how amazing! And such a great tip about building strength beforehand too.
All the best 
Parkinson’s UK Moderation Team
Hi, @yeehaajc.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience here.
It’s great to hear the surgery was worth it overall, even if recovery’s taken a bit longer. That’s really useful for others to know, especially around expectations and physio.
It sounds like you’ve made great progress already, and I hope things keep improving for you!
Take care
Parkinson’s UK Moderation Team