As we grow older, we tend to wear out our hip joints. When this happens, the best solution is to get a hip replacement surgery. The first step toward this is to seek expert advice. You can go to a hip and knee pain doctor in Green Bay or Appleton and ask for recommendations on what to do. If your doctor is updated with the latest technology, they would recommend an anterior hip replacement surgery. This surgery is the new approach when it comes to hip replacement. It involves smaller incisions and fewer muscles, which leads to quicker recovery.
So, how do you know that you need a hip replacement surgery? When you are feeling extreme pain this area due to arthritis or from a trauma caused by an accident, you might be a good candidate for this surgery. Often times, you would feel the discomfort and stiffness when you sit for long periods of time, when you go up the stairs, or even when you are just doing your regular day to day activities. Sometimes, you would feel grinding in your hips, which adds to the pain. In other cases, you might not be able to fully move your hip at all. When this happens, seek medical assistance immediately. The symptoms may change from person to person but the best thing to do is to seek help from medical experts on what can be done.
What Is Hip Replacement Surgery?
A hip replacement surgery is a minimally invasive surgery that is done under anesthetic. The patient is given general anesthetic so they are asleep the entire time. It takes about two hours to finish the operation. In the traditional method, the surgeon creates 20- to 25-cm incisions down the outside of the thighs. In the new method, the incision can be as little as 4 cm. In the traditional method, the surgeon also cuts through muscle, detaches it, and attaches it back later. This is no longer done in anterior hip replacement surgery. Therefore, the new method entails shorter recovery period with minimal discomfort after the surgery even when the anesthesia has worn out.
Recovery from Hip Replacement Surgery
After the operation, the patient is required to stay in the hospital. They have to undergo physical therapy sessions in order to walk again on their own. With anterior hip replacement, the time for a patient to walk unaided is usually 6 days less than with the older method. Since the incision they have to heal from is smaller and no muscle was involved, this speeds up the recovery process compared to the traditional method. Often times, patients who stay in the hospital during the recovery period are taught exercises to help them gain their normal function again and to strengthen their muscles.
During recovery, patients are discouraged from making sudden movements. They are also discouraged from bending their hips too far, twisting their hips too far, and turning around too quickly while in recovery. Patients are told to ease in slowly into doing their normal movements again.
Recovery usually lasts six weeks with the traditional method. This can be shorter with anterior hip replacement. Both approaches, however, yield very similar – and very positive – results 6 months to a year out. If you are considering surgery, do your homework on the procedure and your orthopedic surgeon. It is important to know your options for your hip surgery; it is also critical that you choose a doctor who provides you with a high level of comfort and trust as you embark on this very important journey.