Direct approach to hip replacement

Surgeons in the United States perform more than 500,000 hip replacements every year, and that number is only expected to increase as our population ages.

However, this is a major surgery that often requires a long recovery, prompting more doctors to use an alternative approach in hopes of giving patients better outcomes.

If you or a loved one needs a hip replacement, expect to fully recover in four to eight weeks.

But there’s a surgical technique gaining popularity that’s helping people walk on their own up to six days faster. It’s called a direct anterior total hip arthroplasty.

“I find my patients really enjoy getting up and doing things they want right after surgery,” said Dr. Gregory Mendez, an orthopedic surgeon at Mercy Medical Center.

Surgeons make a small incision about three to six inches long near the front of the hip. Guided by real-time X-rays, muscle tissues are moved aside instead of cut through them like in traditional procedures.

“So, when we replace the hip, we’re replacing the socket and the ball,” said Mendez.

Then, they implant the artificial hip.

“Theoretically, there’s no muscle healing that needs to happen. Patients are usually up and about the day of surgery if not the day after surgery,” Mendez said.

This leads to a faster recovery.

Doctors warn that this approach is still surgery like all others; it carries risk. If you are considering hip replacement, talk with your doctor to decide whether this might be the right option.