Revision hip surgery in the elderly: is it worthwhile?

We prospectively analyzed the outcome in 103 consecutive patients undergoing revision hip replacement, dividing the patients into 2 groups according to their age at the time of surgery. There were 45 patients aged 75 years or older and 58 patients aged younger than 75 years. The results of revision hip replacement in terms of pain relief, functional improvement, and patient satisfaction did not differ between the 2 groups. There was a significantly higher death rate among the elderly patients (13.3% versus 1.7%; P = .0202) and a significantly higher rate of dislocation (20% versus 1.7%; P = .0019). We conclude that revision hip replacement is an effective operation in the elderly, but that patient and surgeon must be aware of the risks that such surgery entails.