Advanced, Minimally invasive, muscle-sparing, anterior hip replacement surgery.

A total hip replacement is ‘the operation of the century.’

This is because hip replacement surgery is extremely successful and effective in improving the quality of life in patients with debilitating hip arthritis and disease. Regardless of the surgical approach, hip replacement surgery has a success and satisfaction rate approaching >95%. This is defined as an improvement of pain, function, and quality of life.

Minimally invasive hip replacement techniques, like the direct anterior approach (DAA), now enable the operation to be performed through smaller surgical incisions placed at the front of the hip; and can even be done through the so called ‘bikini cut’ incision.

Other techniques, like the traditional posterior approach or direct lateral approach to access the hip requires the surgeon to cut through muscles and soft tissues at the back of the hip which need to be repaired and reattached at the end of the surgery.

The minimally invasive, muscle sparing direct anterior approach avoids cutting and damaging major muscles. The surgeon carefully works between the muscle layers (inter-nervous plane) leaving these muscles intact. This results in smaller surgical incisions and scars, less post-operative pain, earlier short-term mobilisation and quicker return to work and activity.

Following traditional hip replacement techniques, hip precautions following surgery are generally required. These include no flexing of the replaced hip greater than 90 degrees, no sitting in low chairs, using a toilet seat raise, no crossing legs, no excessive internal rotation. Because muscles or tendons are not detached from the hip during direct anterior hip replacement surgery, these hip precautions are typically not necessary. This may allow patients to return to normal daily activities shortly after surgery with a reduced risk of dislocation.

In hospital physiotherapy will focus on walking (with a walking aid), transferring from the bed and stair training. Mobility is also very important to aid in preventing the formation of blood clots. Physiotherapy will start on the same day as your joint replacement surgery.