Why your mobility priorities matter more than a pain score
A pain score tells a clinician how much something hurts today. It does not tell them whether you can reach the bathroom at night, climb the stairs to your flat, or keep working. For total hip replacement, the decision is not only whether the joint is damaged. It is whether the pattern of damage and your functional goals line up with what surgery can realistically change.
Total hip replacement replaces damaged ball-and-socket surfaces with artificial components, and suitability is assessed individually. That individual assessment depends on your history, examination and imaging. If you arrive with only a number out of ten, the specialist has to reconstruct your daily life from scratch. If you arrive with a clear account of what you have lost, the consultation starts further forward.
This is not about presenting yourself as a better candidate. It is about giving the treating team the information they need to judge whether hip replacement is the right operation for you, at this point, with your particular hip.
Describe the movements you have lost, not just the pain
Write down the specific activities that have changed. Not 'I am less mobile' but 'I can no longer put on my right sock without sitting down' or 'I stop halfway up the stairs because my hip catches'. These details help a surgeon understand which hip positions provoke symptoms and how much your gait has adapted.
Include the things you have stopped doing altogether. Perhaps you no longer take the dog out, or you avoid the bus because the step is too high. These are not minor complaints. They are the functional baseline against which any treatment decision is made.
Also note what still works. If you can walk 20 minutes on the flat but not turn quickly, say so. If you can cycle but not squat, that is useful. The pattern of preserved and lost movement can point toward different diagnoses and different surgical considerations.
Put a time frame on each change. 'Three years ago I could walk to the shops; now I stop twice' is more useful than 'it has got worse'. A gradual decline over years suggests a different picture from a sudden change after a fall or an infection. The specialist uses that timeline to judge how urgent the problem is and whether other causes need to be ruled out.
Describe the aids you now use. A stick, a frame, a handrail on the stairs, a raised toilet seat, a cushion in the car: each one tells the clinician how much you have already adapted. If you have stopped driving because you cannot press the pedal comfortably, or you need help getting out of a low chair, say so. These are practical markers of how the hip affects daily life.
Mention the work and caring roles you are trying to keep. If you stand for a living, lift patients, or look after a relative, the surgeon needs to know what you are asking your hip to do. A plan that ignores your job or your responsibilities at home may not match what you actually need.
Finally, note how your walking has changed for other people to see. Do you limp? Does your leg feel shorter? Do you lean to one side? A partner or friend often notices these things before you do, and their description is worth writing down. Gait changes can reflect hip problems, but they can also come from the back, the knee or the foot, so the specialist will want to examine the whole leg rather than assume the hip is the only source.
Keep this account to one page. A clear list of five to ten specific changes is easier to use in a consultation than a long diary. Bring it in writing, in English if possible, and be ready to describe the same points out loud. The aim is not to prove you need surgery. It is to give the treating team the functional picture they cannot get from an X-ray alone.
What existing records can clarify before you travel
You do not need a complete archive to start a conversation. A short summary of your diagnosis, your main question and the records you already have is enough for an initial enquiry. From there, the team can tell you what is missing and what the hospital is likely to ask for.
The most useful existing items are usually recent imaging of the hip, any previous operation notes, and a clear list of your current medications and allergies. If you have had injections, physiotherapy or other treatments, note what was tried and what changed. If you have other joint problems or back pain, mention them, because they can affect how you walk and what you expect from hip surgery.
Do not assume you must repeat tests before anyone will speak to you. Ask instead which existing images are acceptable, whether they need to be in a particular format, and whether the hospital wants discs, films or digital files. Those are administrative questions with practical answers, and they are better asked early than discovered at the airport.
What remains uncertain until a clinician examines you
A records-based opinion can review your imaging and history, but it cannot replace a physical examination. Hip replacement suitability depends on things a photograph or a report cannot show: your range of motion, the strength of the muscles around the hip, your gait pattern, and how your leg lengths compare.
The specialist also needs to judge the condition of the bone and soft tissues, and whether there are signs of infection or other problems that would change the plan. Those assessments require the patient in the room. This is why a remote review may clarify options and prepare questions, but it does not establish final eligibility or hospital acceptance.
If you have other medical conditions, such as heart or lung problems, the anaesthetic team will need to assess whether you are fit for surgery. That assessment is individual and cannot be predicted from a diagnosis list alone. Ask what preoperative checks the hospital requires and how they are arranged.
How to organise the gaps without ordering your own tests
It is tempting to book every scan you can find before you travel. That can waste money and create confusion if the images are not the ones the surgeon needs. A better approach is to ask the receiving clinician what they want, then arrange it through the proper route.
Start by listing what you already have and what you do not. For each missing item, write down who might hold it: your family doctor, a previous hospital, or an imaging centre. Then ask the China team whether they need it before an appointment or whether it can be obtained locally.
If you are unsure whether a particular scan is relevant, ask. Do not order a new test on your own initiative based on an article. The treating team decides which investigations are necessary, and they may prefer to repeat an image under their own protocol rather than rely on an outside study.
Questions that change the next step
The answers to a few practical questions determine whether you continue planning or pause. Ask whether the hospital needs to see you in person before giving a surgical opinion, and whether a video or records review can happen first. Ask what the typical pathway looks like for an international patient, without assuming it is the same for everyone.
Ask who will make the final decision about surgery. In most hospitals, it is the treating surgeon after examination and review of the full picture. Ask what happens if the surgeon recommends a different procedure, such as a partial replacement or a revision, and how that would change your preparation.
Finally, ask what you should bring to the appointment. A written list of your mobility priorities, your current medications, and your questions is more useful than a folder of unrelated paperwork. If you need an interpreter, ask how that is arranged and whether it is available for the consultation and the consent discussion.
Sources & scope of this guide
References and official service information relevant to this guide.
This is general planning information and has not been individually reviewed by a doctor. Medical decisions and personal treatment advice come from your treating clinicians.