Revision hip replacement is surgery to remove or replace part or all of a previous hip implant. It is usually more complex than a first-time hip replacement and requires careful diagnosis, planning, and implant strategy.
Revision hip replacement is a second operation on a hip that has already been replaced. The surgeon may exchange a liner or ball, revise the socket, revise the femoral stem, rebuild bone, or remove and replace the entire implant system.
Common reasons include painful loosening, wear, repeated dislocation, infection, fracture around the implant, or implant position problems.
Implant parts can wear or lose fixation over time, which may create pain or bone loss.
Repeated dislocation may require changing component position, implant design, or soft-tissue tension.
Deep infection and fractures around implants require specialized testing and often staged or complex reconstruction.
The best revision plan depends on the failure pattern. That may mean blood tests, aspiration, advanced imaging, old operative records, implant identification, and a plan for bone loss before entering the operating room.
Revision hip replacement starts with identifying why the original hip is failing. Pain alone is not enough. The surgeon may need X-rays, prior operative records, implant information, blood tests for infection screening, advanced imaging, and sometimes joint aspiration.
The plan changes significantly depending on whether the problem is loosening, instability, infection, fracture, implant wear, abductor weakness, or bone loss. Each cause leads to a different reconstruction strategy.
The surgeon may need special implants, augments, screws, grafting, or fixation strategies when socket or femur bone has been lost.
Infection must be considered because treatment can require staged surgery, antibiotics, and a different recovery timeline.
Repeated dislocation may require changes in component position, head size, liner choice, soft-tissue tension, or constrained implants.
Often yes. Revision surgery can take longer and may require specialized implants, tools, and bone reconstruction.
No. Pain can come from infection, loosening, spine disease, tendon problems, or other causes. Diagnosis comes first.
It can be. Recovery depends on what is revised, bone quality, infection status, weight-bearing limits, and overall health.
Prior operative notes, implant stickers, imaging, infection labs, and records from the first surgery can be helpful.
Procedure pages help patients understand the option. Scheduling helps turn that into a visit with the right TJS specialist, office, and appointment type based on symptoms, imaging, prior treatment, and recovery goals.
This page was reviewed by Total Joint Specialists clinical leadership on May 11, 2026. It is reviewed at least annually and whenever major clinical guidance, source references, or practice facts change.
The content is educational, cites orthopedic society or peer-reviewed sources where relevant, and is not a substitute for an evaluation with an orthopedic surgeon who has reviewed your individual case.
Patient education references used for this page: AAOS Revision Total Hip Replacement, AAHKS Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty, and AAOS Total Hip Replacement.
A TJS revision hip specialist can evaluate why the hip hurts and whether revision is truly the right next step.
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