One of the most successful modern medical procedures, minimally invasive hip surgery, is being used more often as a go-to surgery rather than the traditional method. It makes use of modern materials that will take the place of the organic material, ensuring that they last throughout the patient’s life. It is used to reduce the tissue trauma, as it uses a smaller incision, resulting in less blood loss and in a quicker recovery. If you suffer from an illness that has debilitated your hips severely, then minimally invasive hip surgery might be your best option. Here at Joint Replacement Surgery we evaluate each patient individually, to make sure that your specific needs are met.
Before the Surgery Our specialist surgeon will evaluate your individual case, and she will decide the pre-operation steps you need to take to prepare for surgery. Minimally invasive hip surgery is still a surgery, even if less traumatic. As such, you will need to have a full evaluation. X-ray exams are commonly done to evaluate your hip, and it will help our surgeon assess how to better fit the hip prosthesis. You might also have to have a chest X-ray and an echocardiogram (ECG) done to make sure there are no underlying medical conditions. If you have had previous treatment or examinations, you should bring the details of these to allow a comparison in the evolution of your condition. You also need to have blood tests done and to take a sample of your urine, to ensure that your body is in shape to undergo surgery. This can also include a change in your nutrition, if you’re under or overweight, to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Dangerous bacteria on your skin that are a potential for a wound infection are also checked for and eliminated if necessary, prior to surgery.
The Procedure The procedure itself allows for our surgeon to perform the surgery with a smaller incision; instead of a 10 to 12 inch incision, minimally invasive hip surgery only needs an incision of up to 4 inches (10cm), which means that there will be less muscle cutting and splitting. It minimises the amount of soft tissue damage, leading to less bleeding during surgery, less pain, a shorter recovery time, and smaller scarring tissue. You hospital stay may be shortened, reducing the impact on your life.
Recovery One major benefit of this procedure is the reduced recovery time. Every person will recover differently, but recovery time is shorter than a traditional hip surgery. Following hip surgery, some change to your activities will be required. You can discuss with our Consultant which activities it will be safe to continue pursuing. High-impact activities will lead to increased wearing of the components. If you lead your life according to the surgeon’s specifications, especially attending to what activities you can and can’t do, and if you respect the allotted recovery times, your hip replacements will last longer and give you a better quality of life. The first three months will be crucial to allow the muscles to heal and to minimise the chance of dislocation.
Here at Joint Replacement Surgery your well-being is our top priority, so if you think your hip might not be completely healthy, contact us and our surgeon will evaluate your case in an appointment. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter to see all of our updates and news.
