Can I have a hip and knee replacement at the same time?

The short answer is no. If you have experienced injury or have arthritis in both your knee and hip, your doctor might recommend that you have both joints replaced but they are not usually done at the same time.

These joint replacements will be performed as 2 separate surgeries over 2 separate hospital admissions, usually at least a couple of months apart. Your doctor will advise what’s best for you based on your unique requirements and health, however there are a few general guidelines for multiple joint replacements.

1. If you need a hip and knee replacement on the same leg, your doctor will often replace your hip joint first. There are three main reasons for this:

• A painful hip is more likely to interfere with the successful rehabilitation of a knee joint;
• Hip disease can sometimes cause knee pain, a process known as referred pain. Operating on your hip first allows you and your doctor to see how much of your knee pain is actually a result of arthritis in the knee rather than arthritis in your hip; and
• Rehabilitation is less intense for a hip replacement. So after seeing how you go during your hip rehab, your doctor will be better informed as to how you might manage with the more intensive knee rehab.

2. On the occasion that one joint is causing more pain than the other, your doctor will usually replace the more painful joint first.

Hip and knee replacement surgery can help you to live completely free of pain, increase your joint mobility and get you moving again, so you can do more of the things you love.

As one of the top Orthopaedic Surgeons in Newcastle and the Hunter, Dr Stuart MacKenzie has helped many patients live pain-free and get moving again through robotic-assisted hip and knee replacement surgery.