EXPLANATION OF MEDICAL TERMS During your stay in hospital, you will be confronted with several medical terms. A brief explanation. - Intravenous line or infusion
An intravenous line is placed just before the operation. It allows fluids, blood, anaesthetic medication and antibiotics running into the vein. It will be removed on average after 3 days, or already the next day in case of BHR resurfacing procedure. In case of revision surgery, a bigger intravenous line is placed into a bigger vessel in the neck, allowing larger running capacity of fluids and to check
central blood pressure. - Abduction pillow (also called “JEF”)
A triangular pillow is kept between the legs whilst in bed to prevent dislocation of the hip during stay in hospital. It is not necessary after a resurfacing procedure. - Staples
These are used for skin closure after operation. They will be removed after 2 weeks in
two sessions on 2 consecutive days. - Urinary catheter
This is a small drain brought into the bladder after you got anaesthised. It is only used in long lasting revision procedures or bilateral procedures, to be able to control renal function and blood loss. It is soon removed after operation to prevent bladder infection. -
Heterotopic Ossification (HO)
See complications of Total Hip Arthroplasty. - Epidural or spinal block
These techniques use local anaesthetic to block the passage of nerve impulses, including pain, in the spinal cord. The block can be positioned at various spinal levels, but the patient generally has no feeling from the waist down. The
patient is usually sedated during the procedure, but a ventilator is not required for this kind of anaesthetic. It thereby can lower some of the risks of general anaesthetic. Depending on the medications used for the block, the period of pain relief after surgery can be prolonged for several hours, reducing the need for pain medication after surgery. Because these blocks provide temporary loss of sensation below the waist, a urinary catheter (tube into the bladder to drain urine) is
often inserted. In case of a resurfacing procedure, a general anaesthesia is preferred for technical reasons, namely to obtain an optimal muscular relaxation and for bloodpressure ! - Flebitis (blood cloth formation)
See complications of Total Hip Arthroplasty
Last updated: 06.01.2006 | 
