A worn or damaged hip is replaced with a smooth artificial joint, ending years of pain and restoring the ability to walk, sleep and move freely. It is one of the most effective and satisfying operations in modern medicine. India offers it — including for younger patients with avascular necrosis — at a fraction of Western cost.
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. When its cartilage wears away, bone grinds on bone and every step hurts. A total hip replacement removes the damaged ball at the top of the thigh bone and resurfaces the socket, replacing both with a smooth metal, ceramic or plastic joint that glides painlessly.
There are variations. The implant may be cemented in place or uncemented (press-fit, so your bone grows into it) — the choice depends on your age and bone quality. A partial replacement (of the ball only) is used mainly for certain hip fractures, and hip resurfacing , which preserves more bone, is sometimes offered to younger, very active patients. Your surgeon recommends the right one after seeing your X-rays.
Hip replacement is considered when pain limits daily life and simpler measures — medication, physiotherapy, weight management, injections — no longer help. It is not only for the elderly: avascular necrosis, in which the ball loses its blood supply and collapses, commonly affects younger adults and is a frequent reason for surgery.
The honest answer to the question every patient asks. We give the landmark registry figures and the important context around them.
How to read this. The widely-quoted "58% at 25 years" comes from registry data that includes older implants no longer used; studies of the cross-linked plastic and ceramic bearings fitted today report much higher survival. 1,2 How long your implant lasts also depends on your age, weight and activity — which is why implant choice and lifestyle are discussed openly before surgery.
Hip replacement is very safe, but no operation is risk-free. These are what an orthopaedic surgeon discusses at consent.
The pre-operative checks, the recovery, and above all the timing of your flight are the parts international patients plan for.
Joint-replacement results are best at high-volume centres with dedicated orthopaedic theatres and physiotherapy teams. These are the accredited centres in our network.
Mumbai
Bengaluru
Gurgaon
Consultant
CK Birla Hospital, Gurgaon
Senior consultant
Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai
Senior Consultant & Head
Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital
Registry data show roughly 89% of implants still working at 15 years and about 58% at 25 years — but that includes older designs; modern implants appear to last considerably longer. 1,2 Your age, weight and activity all play a part.
Not necessarily. Younger patients — often with avascular necrosis — do have hip replacements; the surgeon simply discusses implant lifespan and options like resurfacing carefully with you.
Usually with a walker or crutches the day after surgery. Most people walk unaided within a few weeks and keep improving over the following months with physiotherapy.
Sometimes, if you are otherwise fit. It saves one recovery period but is a bigger single operation; the surgeon advises whether doing them together or in stages is safer for you.
Not immediately — long flights soon after surgery raise the clot risk. Most patients stay in India about two to three weeks; the team confirms when it is safe to travel.
Every clinical claim on this page traces to one of these. Implant-survival figures are population averages, not individual predictions.
This page is written for patients and their families and is not medical advice. Health Route is a facilitator, not a healthcare provider. Whether to have a hip replacement, the type of implant, and the timing are decisions for a treating orthopaedic surgeon who has assessed you.
Evans JT, et al. How long does a hip replacement last? A systematic review and meta-analysis of case series and national registry reports with more than 15 years of follow-up.
Lancet, 2019;393(10172):647–654. Pooled registry survival ~89% at 15 years, ~70% at 20 years, ~58% at 25 years (all-cause).
Survivorship of modern total hip replacement to 30 years: systematic review, meta-analysis and extrapolation of global joint registry data.
Lancet, 2026. Contemporary bearing surfaces (cross-linked polyethylene, ceramic) show pooled survivorship of roughly 92% at 25 years, higher than earlier estimates that included outdated materials.
Total hip replacement as an effective, cost-effective and high-satisfaction operation.
Lancet Rheumatology, 2022, and related registry/PROMs literature. Hip replacement is an extremely effective treatment for pain and disability from advanced hip disease, with high patient satisfaction.
An orthopaedic surgeon reviews them and writes back after the treating team completes its review with whether a replacement is right, which implant they would use, and an itemised price. No charge, and no obligation to travel.