Clarify the measurement
Agree whether more assessment is needed.
Hip replacement / Patient guide
Leg-length difference after hip replacement
Explore why your legs feel unequal and how that difference has been assessed.
A planned, non-urgent second opinion with Professor Paul Lee
Start with your experience
Making sense of the concern
Feeling uneven after hip replacement can be unsettling, particularly when it affects walking, standing or your back. Explain whether the operated leg feels longer or shorter, whether this changes during the day and whether anyone has measured it. A feeling of imbalance deserves assessment even before its cause is clear.
The consultation can distinguish the question of measured length from the way the pelvis, joints and muscles influence standing and walking. It should also clarify what the original operation aimed to achieve. A measurement is useful only when its method and relevance to your symptoms are understood.
Connect the evidence
Three parts of the picture
- Step 1
What you feel
Which leg feels different, and during which activities?
- Step 2
What is measured
How was the difference assessed?
- Step 3
What it changes
What effect does it have on walking, balance or pain?
A discussion framework, not a diagnostic test or a predicted recovery timeline.
Your clinical second opinion
What the review can explore
Bring the pre-operative and post-operative X-rays, any formal length measurements and details of shoe raises or other aids you have tried. Say who advised them and whether they helped. The review can put those findings alongside your examination and the wider picture of hip function.
If revision has been suggested, ask what it would correct and how that would be balanced against other considerations such as hip stability. If the advice is to observe or use a non-operative measure, ask when it will be reviewed. The aim is a practical plan, not simply a number without context.
From explanation to a plan
Possible next steps to discuss
These are directions the conversation may take. They are not a treatment recommendation for every person with these symptoms.
Discuss supportive measures
Review any rehabilitation or shoe-raise advice individually.
Assess revision carefully
Connect any proposed change to symptoms and the overall hip function.
Make the appointment yours
Questions worth bringing
- Is there a measured difference, an apparent difference, or both?
- How reliable is the measurement in my circumstances?
- What should guide any use of a shoe raise?
- What are the trade-offs if another operation is proposed?
If the explanation uses an unfamiliar term, ask what it means for your own decision. Before leaving, check who is arranging any next step and how you will receive the results.
Further reading
General patient information supporting the background to this guide. Your individual advice depends on assessment.
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Talk through your next step.
£100 · 45 minutes · Monthly clinic sessions
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