The direct anterior approach to hip replacement is a minimally invasive technique that spares many of the most important muscles about the hip joint. It has several advantages over the traditional, posterior approach.
It is used most frequently on patients with arthritis of the hip joint who have not had previous joint replacements.
By using the surgical approach on the anterior (front) aspect of the hip joint, we are able to avoid cutting any muscles or tendons. The traditional hip replacement is performed posteriorly through many important muscles. By avoiding these muscles in the anterior approach, we are able to minimize muscle trauma and thereby shorten the recovery period.
Patients with the anterior approach also have a lower dislocation rate and are not restricted by the “hip precautions” that patients with a traditional hip are.
We use a special operating room table to perform this surgery, which takes approximately 60-75 minutes. Patients will be walking up and walking the day of surgery. They will stay in the hospital overnight. The entire recovery period is shortened from 6 weeks with a traditional posterior approach to about 3 weeks.
Just want to thank you for such a well done job on my hip replacement. You are one of the best surgeons I have ever met. You and all your staff treated me with such compassion that I have never known in a clinic or doctors office. You know how to take care of your patients.
