Not hardly.  Do an internet search using the words hip replacement and last.

It really depends on how much his hip is currently limiting his life.  Even
if the seven year rule were true, if someone asked me to choose seven years
out of the rest of my life to be pain free, I'd choose the next seven years.

Jo

Rokolya has a valuable perspective on this. My persepctive is that I had
my first THR at ...hmm... I think I was 26 at the time. I was told it
should last about 15 years, maybe more (titanium-ceramic). I'm glad I
had it done. However, I was walking around on a femoral head that was in
pieces at the time...your friend may not be as restricted as I was.

a longtime friend of the family had both hips replaced in her early 50s.  
They thought her problem was degenerative, as the result of many years of
dancing. (she is currently the resident coreographer of Dance Alive! -
Gainesville's professional dance company  http://www.dancealive.org/).

When they got in to her hips, it turned out to be a congenital problem of
some sort.  They told her that because it was congenital rather than
degenerative, she shouldn't need to have the replacement done again down the
road.  I have no idea if this wouuld apply in your friend's case, and I don't
know anymore details of Judy's situation, but it seems to me that he'd do
well to ask some more orthopods.

Of course not.  When in the world are all of the doctors (which I find shameful
in the extreme) finally get the latest information on the improvements in
prosthetics which allows them to last way longer than they did, even just 5
years ago.

Tell your friend to get a second or third or fouth opinion.  Or as many as it
takes to find a doctor who us up to date on procedures and prosthetics.
Char

"Remember, I'm pulling for ya'. We're all in this together." Red Green

hmm, very interesting responses. i was particularly interested in rokolya's,
since my friend's husband's problem had to do with a childhood disease (or
condition) that runs in irish families (can't think of the name of it. . . )
and it did leave one leg shorter than the other. so it sounds as though he
might have a rougher time with replacement. i agree with those recommending a
2nd opinion, tho.
thanks for the input,

diane

I think they last much longer than that.  They are using much better
replacements now-a-days.
Lorrie F

===============================
Technologically Advanced "50-Year Hip" Now Available at Glendale
Adventist Medical Center

Glendale Adventist Medical Center is one of only a small number of
hospitals in Southern California to currently (Summer 2003) offer an
exciting new option for hip replacement: The Trident® Acetabular
System.

The breakthrough in this new system is a recently FDA-approved joint
made of a specially manufactured ceramic, which gives the artificial
joint the longest lifespan of any hip prosthesis on the market.

What is so special about the new ceramic-on-ceramic joint?

For the first time ever, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
given approval for both of the key parts of an artificial hip joint to
be made of ceramic, a specially manufactured form of glass that is
extraordinarily strong and smooth.

Ceramic femoral heads-the end of the leg bone (femur) that attaches to
the hip-have been available for decades. But it took longer for
manufacturers to develop the right formula for a ceramic acetabulum
(pronounced ass-uh-TAB-yuh-lum), the cup-shaped socket at the base of
the hipbone that the femoral head fits into, forming the
"ball-and-socket" configuration of the hip joint.

Although a ceramic acetabulum has been available in Europe for over a
decade, the FDA required very detailed and specific studies before
approving its use in the United States. Now with FDA approval,
surgeons in the U.S. can implant a ceramic-on-ceramic joint where the
moveable head of the femur-the major leg bone-attaches to the
acetabulum.

What are the advantages of the new ceramic-on-ceramic joint?

The exciting news about the new ceramic-on-ceramic joint is its
durability and wear. Only diamonds are harder than the special ceramic
material used in these joints.

Because of the strength and smoothness of this material, there is much
less wear on the ceramic-on-ceramic joint than on any other existing
combinations of joint materials. Less wear means a longer life for the
artificial joint and more time between joint replacement surgeries.

Here's a comparison of the expected length of wear for several hip
replacement options currently on the market:

   * 10 to 15 years for a metal femoral head in a socket made of
conventional plastic. Often, the metal head doesn't have to be
replaced after this time, but the plastic socket does need
replacement.
   * 20 to 25 years for a metal femoral head in a socket made of a
specially manufactured "cross-linked" plastic that is made harder and
smoother by treating it with radiation. This process decreases wear by
about 50 percent-a significant increase, but still not nearly as
long-lasting as ceramic.
   * 25 to 30 years for a ceramic femoral head in a socket made of
cross-linked plastic.
   * 50 to 60 years (estimated) for a ceramic femoral head in a
ceramic socket. Because this combination is so new, there are no
long-term studies on its actual longevity. However, studies have shown
that, over the same period of use, the ceramic-on-ceramic joint shows
100 times less wear than the ceramic head/cross-linked plastic socket
combination.

Another advantage of long-wearing materials

Along with prolonging the life of the artificial hip itself, the
smoother, more durable ceramic-on-ceramic hips may actually preserve
bone.

As an artificial joint wears down, the body sometimes tries to digest
the microscopic particles that flake off from the joint. Studies have
shown that in some people and in some situations, the cells in the
body release enzymes as part of this digestion process that actually
cause bone to dissolve.

Smoother, slower-wearing surfaces-such as ceramic-on-ceramic-minimize
this effect by wearing down much more slowly than conventional
materials used in artificial hips

well I don't know how long they last, I believe it has to do with the
patients bone structure, activity and what not.
My sis who is 55, over, a little stocky and very active teacher, had hers
done last spring.  Never was told that but was told she could do anything
but cross over her legs so her hip would swing outward.  That might
dislodge the hip replacement.
she is doing great, back teaching NO pain, and it was horrible for her.
She climbs three sets of steps to get to her class room and it totals well
over a 100 steps a day.
As a matter of fact she is out riding on their harley as I type.  Idiot I
know but when you are enjoying life, YOU enjoy it to the fullest, as well
as When you can.  PAIN free.
have him see another doc.  not worth waiting, he is too young to waste his
life like that.  Then when he is older the excuse will be HIS bones are too
brittle and he has osteo, so we can't do it.  Get my drift?  LOL  docs

janers
who is celebrating a NEW granddaughter..

Greetings!
A good place to find lots of information about hip replacements is
http://members.tripod.com/totallyhip1/

And I agree with several other posters, the husband should find another
surgeon.  Not only do the new hips last much longer, but he also needs to
get his life back from pain!  I know - I had my first hip replaced in my
40's, and the other side done 10 years later, and the pain relief is
wonderful!
Sandy

Diane wrote:

That's what my doctors told me (7 years) in 1977-1984.

Any doctor who says that today is 10-15 years behind in
his medical studies.  The current thought is that a THR
will last 15-20 years, or longer.

... MEMORY - The thing I forget with.