The Queen, 91, and Prince Phillip, 96, who stepped back from public life last summer after 65 years of service, 637 solo overseas trips and 22,219 solo engagements.PAUL HACKETT/REUTERS
Britain’s Prince Philip, the 96-year-old husband of the Queen, remains in the King Edward VII Hospital in London in his sixth day of recovery from a hip replacement. Buckingham Palace palace said after the surgery that he is “progressing satisfactorily at this early stage” and described him as being “comfortable and in good spirits.”
According to the Canadian Institute of Health Information, 53,207 Canadians got hip replacements in 2015-2016.
Patients can expect steady improvement up to five or six months following surgery, according to the Canadian Orthopedic Foundation, which offers tips on how to prepare for and recover from hip replacement surgery.
- Hip and knee replacement is one of five priority areas targeted for shorter wait times in Canada and 79 per cent of patients in Canada received a hip replacement within the benchmark of 182 days, according to the institute.
- Patients have more choice in technique, such as the anterior (surgery through the front of the hip) and the posterior technique (going in through the back of the hip), with pros and cons to each.
- Researchers are developing parts that show promise for better outcomes, such as a ceramic implant, which may reduce the number of dislocations that can be a complication after hip surgery.
- Hip replacement surgery is associated not only with better quality of life, but also may add years to lives, according to research.
- Beyond surgery: GLA:D is an education and exercise program for those with hip or knee osteoarthritis. Results published in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage show a 40-per-cent improvement in pain and a slowing of the progression of symptoms of up to 27 per cent.
Police officers stand outside the King Edward VII's Hospital where Britain's Prince Philip recently underwent hip replacement surgery, in central London, Britain, April 8, 2018.HENRY NICHOLLS/REUTERS
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article reversed the descriptions for anterior and posterior approaches to hip replacement. This is the corrected version.