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Tell the story
Dr. Morton starts with what happened, what has changed, what you have already tried, and what you need your body to do again.
Hip replacement in Hawaii
Hip replacement when pain is taking over daily life.
When I meet someone with hip arthritis, the first question is simple: is the hip really the source of the pain, and is it bad enough that surgery makes sense? You do not need to know the answer before you call. My job is to help you sort it out.
Online booking in about a minuteHMSA, Medicare & other major plansHonolulu · West Oahu · Hilo · KonaTelehealth for neighbor islands
Board-certifiedFellowship-trainedFAAOS / FAAHKSRobotic hip & kneeRevision expertiseHawaii roots
How the visit works
You should leave with a clearer plan than when you arrived.
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Look at the source
Your exam and imaging help separate arthritis, injury, implant problems, referred pain, and other causes that can feel similar.
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Choose the next step
The plan may be therapy, bracing, injections, orthobiologics, arthroscopy, robotic surgery, revision workup, or a clear reason to wait.
Before you book
The first visit is better when the story is organized.
Joint Replacement Hawaii has always asked practical questions before the appointment because the details matter: what hurts, where it hurts, what you have tried, and what life activity you want back.
01
What are you having trouble with?
Getting in and out of a car
Getting up from a chair
Stairs
Walking long distances
Pain at night
Exercise, sports, or work
02
What are you noticing?
Swelling
Instability or giving way
Stiffness or limited motion
Catching or locking
Grinding
Difficulty bearing weight
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What have you already tried?
Physical therapy
Brace, cane, walker, or crutches
Steroid or gel injections
PRP or BMAC questions
NSAIDs or Tylenol
Prior arthroscopy or surgery
Before you decide
The conversation I want patients to understand.
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When I usually see patients
Most people come in when walking, stairs, sleep, golf, work, or travel have become harder than they should be. Some have been told they have bone-on-bone arthritis. Others just know the hip is stealing too much of life.
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What we look at together
We review your story, exam, X-rays, prior injections or therapy, medical history, and what you want to get back to. Hip pain can overlap with back, tendon, and knee problems, so the source matters.
03
Your options
If nonsurgical care still makes sense, I will say so. If hip replacement is the better conversation, we will talk through approach, implants, robotic planning, risks, recovery, and what help you will need at home.
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What would make me wait
I may recommend waiting if the X-ray does not match the pain, if the spine or tendon seems more likely, if medical risk needs work first, or if injections, therapy, weight loss, or activity changes still have a reasonable chance to help.
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What would make surgery worth discussing
Hip replacement becomes a stronger conversation when arthritis or avascular necrosis clearly matches the symptoms, walking and sleep are suffering, nonsurgical care is no longer holding, and the patient has a safe recovery plan.
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If you are older or helping a parent
Bring the person who will help after surgery if you can. We will talk about transportation, stairs, bathroom safety, medications, fall risk, walkers, slippers, and the first few days at home.
How I think through the recommendation
The decision should be explained, not handed to you.
Patients should know what would make us wait, what would make treatment reasonable, what might require more testing, and what changes recovery planning.
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What may make us wait
- Pain does not match the hip X-ray
- Symptoms are manageable with safer non-surgical care
- Medical risks need optimization first
02
What may make surgery reasonable
- Groin or deep hip pain limits daily life
- Imaging shows advanced arthritis or collapse
- Sleep, walking, work, or family life keeps shrinking
03
What may mean more tests
- Back, tendon, or nerve symptoms overlap
- Prior hip replacement pain needs implant review
- AVN, infection concern, or fracture needs staging
04
What changes recovery planning
- Stairs, travel, and home support
- Blood thinners or medical conditions
- Approach-specific precautions and walking goals
Hip decision guide
Make sure the hip is really the source before choosing treatment.
Groin pain, thigh pain, back pain, SI joint pain, tendon pain, avascular necrosis, and implant pain can overlap. The first step is understanding the source.
Think about 01
When nonsurgical care still fits
Therapy, medication, activity changes, injections, and time may still make sense when symptoms and images do not line up with surgery.
Think about 02
When replacement enters the conversation
When arthritis or AVN limits life despite good care, we talk through approach, robotics, risks, recovery, and home support.
Think about 03
When old implants hurt
Pain after hip replacement needs records, images, and a careful search for instability, loosening, infection, fracture, or referred pain.
For informed patients
The details matter, especially when the decision is not simple.
If you are comparing surgeons, robotics, revision care, injections, or recovery plans, these are the questions I want you to feel comfortable asking.
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Fellowship training
Hip replacement is more than an implant. Reconstruction training matters for diagnosis, approach, stability, leg length, and revision judgment.
Adult reconstruction focusAnterior and robotic discussionRevision awareness
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Hip versus back
Groin, thigh, buttock, and back symptoms can overlap. A careful exam helps prevent treating the wrong source.
X-ray reviewMotion testingSymptom pattern
Patient words
The trust signal should match the decision.
Patients are looking for listening, clear explanations, office kindness, and a plan that makes sense for their specific problem.
Patient trust
Hip patients usually want a straight answer.
They want to know where the pain is coming from, whether the hip is bad enough for surgery, what approach fits, and what recovery will look like at home.
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Anterior and total hip replacement questions
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Walking, stairs, sleep, travel, and return-to-activity planning
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Fellowship-trained hip reconstruction care
You may be ready to schedule if
Groin or deep hip pain
Trouble walking, sleeping, working, golfing, or putting on shoes
Hip arthritis or avascular necrosis on imaging
Prior injections or therapy are no longer enough
You want a clear opinion before deciding on surgery
You are worried about falling, losing independence, or needing more help at home
A family member needs to understand the recovery plan with you
You want to compare anterior, robotic, and standard hip replacement in plain language
Why patients choose this practice
Big Island-raised orthopedic care for Hawaii families
Board-certified, fellowship-trained hip and knee reconstruction training
Friendly, practical guidance from consultation through recovery
Direct anterior, robotic, primary, and revision hip pathways are available when appropriate
Caregiver, transportation, stairs, medications, and home safety are part of the plan
Older patients are encouraged to bring a spouse, adult child, or trusted helper
Recovery instructions are written for the patient and the person helping at home
Older patients and caregivers
Older patients and caregivers deserve a clear plan too.
Safety, medications, stairs, rides, hearing, memory, home help, and caregiver questions can change the recommendation and the recovery plan.
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Who should come with you
Bring the person who helps with medications, rides, meals, stairs, wound checks, or remembering instructions. A second set of ears helps.
02
How to plan home safety
Think about loose rugs, bathroom setup, stairs, lighting, pets, walking aids, shower safety, and where you will sleep the first few nights.
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When to call the office
Call for worsening wound redness, drainage, fever, severe swelling, a fall, medication confusion, or symptoms that do not match your instructions.
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When not to wait
Chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, stroke-like symptoms, major deformity, or dangerous symptoms need emergency care.
Helpful to bring
X-rays, MRI, CT scans, or reports if you already have them
Where the pain starts, where it travels, and what it stops you from doing
Prior injections, therapy, medications, braces, or operations
Your goals for work, walking, golf, hiking, sports, travel, and recovery
Make the visit count
Bring the story, not just the scan.
Imaging helps, but the story matters too: what changed, what you tried, what failed, and what life you want back. This is especially important for revision opinions, prior surgery, and neighbor island travel.
Recovery preview
Prepare for hip replacement recovery
A hip-specific guide for walking, precautions, sleep, wound care, travel, and return to activity.
Walking and transfers
Approach-specific precautions
Travel and home setup
Patient questions
Questions I hear in the office.
Do I need to know if I need surgery before I schedule?
No. Many patients come in because they are unsure. The visit is meant to make the decision clearer.
Can hip arthritis cause knee or thigh pain?
Yes. Hip arthritis can refer pain toward the thigh or knee, which is why the exam and X-rays matter.
Can we talk about anterior or robotic hip replacement?
Yes. If hip replacement is the right discussion, we can talk through approach, robotic planning, safety, and recovery.
What if I am too old for hip replacement?
Age alone is not the decision. Health, bone quality, medical risk, home support, mobility, and the reason for surgery matter more than the birthday.
Should my caregiver come to the hip visit?
Yes, especially if surgery may be discussed. A second set of ears helps with medications, transportation, home safety, and remembering the plan.
Mahalo
You do not have to figure this out alone.
If pain, injury, arthritis, or an old implant is keeping you from life, bring your questions. Dr. Morton and the team will help you understand the problem and the next step.
Written for patients by the practice
Orthopedic guidance should be clear enough to help you make a real decision.
Dr. Paul Norio Morton created Joint Replacement Hawaii to help patients understand hip pain, knee pain, arthritis, sports injuries, robotic joint replacement, revision surgery, injections, and recovery before they come in for a visit.
