Frequently Asked Questions (Total Hip Replacement)

What are the common indications for total hip replacement in cats & dogs?

Any incidence affecting the hip joint’s function can be corrected with THR. Such include hip luxation, hip dysplasia, femoral head or neck fracture, avascular necrosis of the femoral head & neck (legg-calve-perthes), capital physeal fractures & severe degenerative joint disease

Often its recommended to do this procedure when the patient has achieved near full skeletal maturity (10 months onwards preferably). Implant size that is inserted when patient is too young will often be undersized and subject to failure easier when the patient reaches the higher adult weight.
There are no age limits for THR although the older patients will require extensive screening to determine other co-morbidity and provide owners with a prognostic outcome before they proceed with the surgery.

Cost for a Total Hip Replacement (unilateral side) can be between RM17,000 to RM20,000 depending on the patient criteria and potential complications what may require additional bone plating to stabilize the leg.
Pre-surgical screening with consultation is around RM650 (required before any surgery can be scheduled)

Implant cost is the main reason as Kyon THR implants are manufactured and imported directly from Switzerland to ensure that their quality last the lifetime of our patients. This helps to reduce complication rates as well when a good quality implant system is used. With constant research and improvement, these implants are now at their 7th generation.
THR is a highly specialized surgery requiring special training and exams before the surgeon is allowed to perform this surgery. Surgeon skill and time also adds to the cost
Alternative to THR is Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) but the outcome may be less ideal compared to THR.

Closed reduction is always attempted first. If this fails, alternative surgical options include Femoral head and neck ostectomy (FHO) or toggle pin
FHO is a salvage procedure that doesn’t restore the hip, but aims to remove the diseased femoral head & neck so it doesn’t cause any more pain and allows the patient to use the leg to walk and run. The hip joint is not preserved in this option
Toggle pin helps to keep the luxated hip in place. But often the affected joint will start to develop arthritic changes earlier and will require long term management of this. This procedure is only applicable if the hip joint is normal to begin with.

Implants at its current generation are designed to last the entire lifetime of the patient. Although this very much depends on wear & tear, animals’ activity level and whether any obesity occurs.
In the event of excessive wear & tear, revision surgeries can be done to replace the worned out implant but these are usually not required.

In cases with good prognosis, successful surgical outcome will mean that your pet will be running and hopping around with a perfectly functional hip joint.
Clinical assessment and radiographical examination will be conducted for each case prior to surgery to provide an accurate prognosis.

Charges for the THR includes the initial surgery with patient being discharged on day-3 post op, as well as any revision surgeries required during the course of 1 year after the main surgery.

Unfortunately our pet insurance in Malaysia (at time of writing Sept 2024) doesn’t cover for this procedure. The insurance package details gets updated and changed often so please check with the insurance provider before purchasing it.