Revision Hip Arthroplasty in the Octogenarian is it Worth It?

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and patient perceived results of 76 revision hip arthroplasties performed in 68 octogenarians since 1990. 60% of patients gained a worthwhile reduction in pain. In contrast to previous studies, however, the functional level of the majority of patients did not improve. 29% of patients felt that they gained no benefit from their operation and, with the benefit of hindsight, 24% of patients would not have consented to surgery, from which they found recovery harder than their first operation. 47% of patients suffered complications which were multiple in over a quarter. There was a 17% dislocation rate which was usually recurrent and rarely salvageable. The indication for revision surgery in the octogenarian must be pain of sufficient severity to justify these risks.