What are the complications of Dynamic Hip Screw Fixation for hip fractures?
Complications of a Dynamic Hip Screw or DHS fixation, are common to any hip fracture, and listed as
1. Blood clots in the leg’s or lungs (called as DVT – Deep Vein Thrombosis or P.E- Pulmonary Embolism). These happen due to prolonged immobilization, stress of surgery and dehydration. These conditions tend to produce reduced blood flow causing it to clot where it gets pooled within the vein.
2. Infection: Each time there is a cut made to the surface of the skin there is a chance of infection. The surgery is usually done in clean sterile environment, but still infection can happen. In case of infection treatment lies in intravenous antibiotics for a few days to a few weeks and in extreme cases by removal of the prosthesis.
3. Anaesthetic problems. The stress of surgery can cause problems like heart attacks, chest pains, irregular heartbeat, stroke or mini stroke.
4. Excessive blood loss: Some patients tend to lose more blood doing hip surgery than normally tolerated by the body. They may need blood transfusions to make up for the loss.
5. Lag screw cut out: Occasionally the lag screw may start cutting out of the bone and move into either the hip joint intra articular surface or near the skin surface. It depends on the bone quality, operative technique and placement of the screw (it is commoner if the screw is placed in the superior part of the femoral head than centrally).
Related Topics:-
* Precautions after a Total Hip Replacement
* Complications of Total Hip Replacement
* Complications of Dynamic Hip Screw – DHS
* How to do a DHS or Dynamic Hip Screw
* How to do a Total Hip Replacement
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