Purpose
Replace damaged joint surfaces when an assessment supports that choice.
When hip pain makes walking, sleeping or everyday tasks difficult, the decision is about more than an operation. Compare the assessment, hospital care and rehabilitation, and make sure the plan works after you return home.
Your surgeon and rehabilitation team set the clinical plan.
Replace damaged joint surfaces when an assessment supports that choice.
Ask what non-surgical options remain useful for you.
Include inpatient care, the implant, rehabilitation and follow-up.
Plan for everyday assistance and continuing rehabilitation at home.
A hip replacement replaces damaged parts of the joint with artificial components. It may be considered when pain and reduced movement affect daily life and other approaches have not helped enough.
The plan differs for a first replacement and surgery on an existing artificial hip. Tell the team if you already have an implant and ask what records they need.
Confirm the proposed operation, treating team and rehabilitation arrangements directly with the hospital. First-time replacement and revision surgery need different plans.
Depending on your situation, alternatives can include appropriate exercise or physiotherapy, walking aids, pain treatment, weight management where relevant and sometimes injections. Ask what has been tried and why replacement is now recommended.
Describe your mobility, previous treatment and medical history. Ask which examination, imaging and pre-operative checks are needed. A remote discussion prepares the assessment; it does not guarantee an operation.
Discuss the proposed implant and approach, who performs the surgery, and what would happen if the assessment changes the recommendation.
Ask what the proposal assumes about hospital discharge and rehabilitation. Check how extra inpatient days or a changed treatment plan would be charged. Keep clinical fees separate from optional travel and coordination charges.
Possible complications include infection, blood clots in the leg or lungs, dislocation, a difference in leg length and damage to nearby tissues or nerves. An artificial joint can wear, and further surgery may be needed. The surgeon should explain your individual risks and prevention plan.
After surgery, seek urgent local medical assessment for wound discharge, fever, or hip or leg pain or swelling that is worsening. A painful, swollen leg needs urgent assessment. Breathing difficulty or chest pain needs immediate local emergency care; do not wait for a coordinator or website response.
Recovery includes supported walking, exercises and learning how to manage daily activities; it can take months. The team assesses when you can leave hospital and what restrictions apply. Discharge is not clearance to fly.
Before booking accommodation, check the stairs and access to the room, bathroom and bed. Ask the rehabilitation team what equipment and help you need for daily tasks, then agree who will provide that help.
Confirm wound checks, physiotherapy, medicines and a clinician-led return-travel plan. Agree who will continue rehabilitation and review the hip at home; obtain the operation and implant records for that handover.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has much to explore, but your recovery plan comes first. A companion can make their own plans with TourismBiH while keeping any help you need available.
Many people who are otherwise well leave hospital one to three days after an uncomplicated hip replacement, once their wound and mobility are satisfactory. Recovery continues afterwards. Before booking, get a separate plan for nearby accommodation, reviews and travel clearance; leaving hospital does not mean you can fly home.
Ask why the proposed approach suits your joint and circumstances. A label alone does not tell you the outcome or recovery support needed.
Expect to use crutches or a walking frame at first. You may also need help with dressing, meals, medicines and getting in and out of bed or a chair. Before booking, work through these tasks with the rehabilitation team and arrange the help they recommend. Travelling without a companion is only practical if that support is in place.
Rehabilitation continues after discharge, including the exercises recommended for you. Before booking, agree who will guide that care at home, how progress will be checked and what it will cost. Take the hospital’s rehabilitation instructions with you.
Explore the clinics below, then confirm who would assess and treat you, where the care would take place and whether an appointment is available. Any treatment proposal depends on your assessment.
Services include hip replacement.
Prepare questions about your options, the complete costs, the clinician responsible for your care and follow-up at home before booking.
Questions to ask a clinic