When patients are experiencing persistent pain, inflammation, and aches in their hip due to arthritis, it might be time to consider getting a hip replacement.
Most surgeons choose the posterior approach when performing a hip replacement, but there are other options available. One option is the anterior approach, which is now regarded as a viable alternative to the traditional approach and offers many benefits to the patient.
Less Muscle Damage
In a posterior approach hip replacement, an incision is made on the side of the hip and the surgeon is required to cut through muscle and then reattach it at the conclusion of the surgery.
With the anterior approach, a five-inch incision is instead made on the front of the hip. The surgeon is able to reach the hip joint by going between muscles. The surgeon does not have to detach or cut muscles or tendons, which results in less damage to the tissues. This is simply because the muscles in the front do not block direct access to the hip, and the procedure can be done by separating the muscles rather than cutting through them.
Less Restrictions After Surgery
After the traditional posterior approach, patients must avoid flexing and internally rotating the hip for three months. These “posterior hip precautions” are put in place to avoid dislocation, even though the risk is relatively small. An advantage of getting an anterior hip replacement is a significant decrease in the risk for dislocation after surgery. This decrease is due to the lessened soft tissue dissection from the anterior approach. There are therefore less restrictions, if any, after this approach, depending on the surgeon’s preference.
Shorter Recovery Time
Since the anterior approach leaves all of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons intact, along with generally utilizing a smaller incision, many patients experience a shorter recovery period. This means significantly less pain, a shorter hospital stay, and less physical therapy required after surgery.
Patients who receive an anterior hip replacement are walking immediately after surgery and subsequently without a walker or cane around two or three weeks after the procedure.
Are There Any Risks?
As with any surgical procedure, there are risks to an anterior hip replacement. Like the traditional approach, there is always the risk for infection, blood loss, dislocation and blood clots after surgery. In addition, the risks of fracture are slightly higher with the anterior approach.
Also, due to a small nerve encounter in the anterior approach, the patient can sometimes experience a small area of skin numbness after surgery. Overall, though, the risks are comparable between anterior approach and the traditional methods.
Choosing the Right Option
Ultimately, when choosing which method to undergo, the patient must be open and vocal with his or her doctor to receive the best care and option for his or her specific needs.
Seeing an orthopaedic specialist and noting the details of the symptoms he or she is experiencing – such as location of the pain, when it hurts, and what activities make it better or worse – can help the patient get one step closer to finding the option that will allow them to get back to feeling normal again.
Dr. Adigweme is an Orthopaedic Specialist at UCF Health. His special interests include hip and knee replacement surgeries to restore patient’s mobility and quality of life. Learn more at ucfhealth.com.
