My Dad had a hip replacement, and he too regretted waiting as long as he did to get relief. Just do your research and find a great Orthopedic Surgeon who operates in a facility with a low rate of infection and complications. All Doctors and Hospitals are not created equal. My Dad had a great surgeon, but the hospital almost killed him by repeatedly giving him 100 times his normal dose of a medication. It was right there on his chart, but the brilliant staff couldn't figure out why his blood pressure kept bottoming out. Dad caught the error when he questioned the nurse about the pills she handed him.
Speaking of infections, artificial joints are notorious for becoming infected because they provide a warm dark environment for bacterial infections to settle, even long after the surgery. For this reason, some manufacturers of artificial joints have begun infusing the plastic portions with a controlled slow release antibiotic that is molded in. If I was in the market for a new joint, I think I'd be asking for one of those. I knew a lady who became very sick and eventually died after a blood infection from a cat scratch settled in her artificial knee joint.
