Hip Replacement Surgery

Hip replacement surgery is the most effective and definitive treatment for those suffering from pain and functional decline resulting from arthritis and other forms of hip joint damage.

What Happens During Hip Replacement Surgery?

Regardless of the “style” or “technique” used, total hip arthroplasty involves surgically exposing the joint and removing the worn-out ball. The joint is then rebuilt with specially designed implants. After recovering from the surgery, the symptoms that were present before surgery will be dramatically improved if not eliminated altogether.

What Techniques Are Available for Hip Replacement Surgery?

There are several different ways of performing hip replacement surgery. Although each technique has its own “pros” and “cons," total hip replacement regardless of the “approach” will offer the best outcome for those who have failed nonsurgical management.

The Anterior Approach
Using the anterior approach, your surgeon makes a smaller incision on the front of the body to gain access to the joint. The surgical approach goes between muscles rather than through muscles. This approach avoids the dissection of posterior structures. The technique is compatible with additional technologies, allowing accurate and precise positioning of the implants. This approach is useful for both primary (first-time) and revision hip replacement surgery.

The Anterior-Based Muscle-Sparing (ABMS) Approach
Similar to the Anterior approach, the ABMS approach allows access to your hip through the front of your hip. This approach involves a slightly different technique but avoids the dissection of posterior structures. It can be used for primary and revision hip replacements.

The Posterior Approach
The posterior approach involves incision through the muscles in your buttock to reach your hip joint. This is a very common approach with a proven track record of excellent results on both primary and revision hip replacements.

Your surgeon will evaluate which approach best suits your needs to optimize your results.

If you are considering hip replacement surgery, it is essential that you have your surgery performed by a surgeon with specialty training in hip replacement surgery who focuses his or her practice on hip replacement surgery—this is the Total Joint Specialists difference.