Hip replacement surgery. Image 30 of 30. Surgeon's hands cleaning blood from the sewn-up wound of a hip replacement operation. The edges of the wound are held together by surgical tape to prevent the stitches breaking. The old hip joint was surgically excised and replaced with a new one. This surgery is usually performed in response to arthritis, degeneration of the joints, and restores mobility to people who would otherwise be incapacitated by pain and unable to move freely. For a sequence of images showing the full surgery, see M551/340-369.