Hip and knee replacement using minimally invasive surgery (MIS) methods is of keen interest to surgeons and patients. Improvements in technique and surgical instrumentation allow today’s surgeons to insert prosthetic hip and knee joints using shorter skin cuts with less surgical trauma, resulting in fewer days spent in the hospital. Patient demand and competitive pressures on surgeons have almost guaranteed that MIS techniques are the future. What should you, as a prospective patient, know about MIS hip and knee replacement surgery to make a safe and appropriate choice for yourself?
Hip replacement surgery is one of the most successful modern orthopedic surgical procedures. (Orthopedics is the branch of medicine dealing with bones.) Hip replacement surgeries use modern biomaterials. Biomaterials are synthetic or partially synthetic materials that are used to take the place of parts within the body. Use of these modern materials has allowed hip replacements to last well in appropriately selected patients. However, pain and other side effects associated with the surgical procedures remain a concern for many people.
During some minimally invasive hip replacement surgery procedures, the person lies on one side. However, in the MIS-2-incision hip replacement procedure, the person lies flat on his or her back. Fluoroscopy is used to precisely guide the placement of the incision. Special instruments are used to make the small incisions. Also, the implants are slightly different in design than the implants that are used during a standard hip replacement surgery.
New techniques have been developed that allow the surgeon to perform the same surgery (hip replacement) through two small incisions and with minimal muscle dissection. The surgeon does not look directly at the arthritic hip, rather, he or she uses x-ray guidance in the operating room to position the artificial hip. The hope is that patients who undergo this minimally invasive hip replacement will have shorter hospital stays, quicker rehabilitation, and better results. However, being a new surgery, there are questions as to whether or not this is actually a “better” procedure.
Minimally invasive hip replacement allows the surgeon to perform the hip replacement through one or two small incisions. Patients usually have less pain compared with traditional hip replacement surgery, and rehabilitation is faster.
Hip arthritis typically causes pain that is dull and aching. The pain may be constant or it may come and go. Pain may be felt in the groin, thigh, and buttock, or there may be referred pain to the knee. Walking, especially for longer distances, may cause a limp.
Some patients may need a cane, crutch, or walker to help them get around. Pain usually starts slowly and worsens with time and higher activity levels.
Patients with hip arthritis may have difficulty climbing stairs. Dressing, tying shoes, and clipping toenails can be difficult or impossible. Pain may also interfere with sleep.