Hip Replacement
Hip replacement and resurfacing can give new life to people with arthritis and other painful conditions of the hip joint. For some patients, improved surgical methods and technology make it possible to return to work after a few weeks.
Most people who have hip replacement surgery find they have:
- decreased pain
- increased mobility
- improved quality of life.
Although most patients are in their 60s and 70s, any adult with severe hip pain and difficulty walking may be a candidate for hip replacement. Hip replacement was once thought to be only appropriate for older, less active patients, but increasingly durable joint implants and improved surgical techniques mean that even younger people can expect an implant to last for many years.
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint that allows a wide range of motion. In total hip replacement, the surgeon cuts away the ball part of the joint, replacing it with a ball attached to a stem that is inserted into a hollowed-out space in the femur. An artificial socket replaces the damaged cartilage and bone on the socket side.
As joint replacement therapy has evolved, "less invasive" forms of hip surgery have been developed. The most recent developments include implants and instruments that can be slipped into position with minimal disruption of the surrounding tissues. These new designs also decrease the chances that the surgery will fail due to dislocation. Several methods are in use today to protect the muscles and joint tissues during surgery.
As leaders in the field of joint replacement surgery, we offer advanced approaches to hip replacement that can mean better and faster recovery for some patients. TCJR's Dr. Roger Emerson specializes in total hip replacement using the Anterior Supine Intermuscular hip replacement procedure, designed to reduce the trauma to the tissues surrounding the hip joint. Dr. John Barrington offers total hip resurfacing, in which only the damaged portions of an arthritic hip joint are cut away and replaced.
Many of our younger patients can benefit from our Rapid Recovery Hip Program™, a hip replacement program that allows some patients to return to work in two weeks.