Who is a good candidate for anterior hip replacement surgery?
When it comes to total hip replacement surgery, surgeons use two main techniques. There’s the posterior approach, where your doctor makes an incision on the back of your hip. Or, there’s the anterior approach, where the doctor makes an incision on the front of your hip.
Doctors sometimes prefer direct anterior hip replacement because it involves less muscle and tissue damage, resulting in a faster recovery. Indeed, research shows that people who had anterior hip replacement surgery recovered faster than those who had posterior hip replacement surgery. The anterior approach patients stopped needing a walker and could walk half a mile five days sooner than the posterior approach patients.
At Beebe Healthcare, our orthopaedic care team specializes in anterior hip replacement surgery. Wondering if it’s right for you? Here’s how to know if you’re eligible for this procedure.
1. YOU’VE ALREADY TRIED MORE CONSERVATIVE TREATMENTS.
When you have hip pain, your doctor will first have you try conservative treatments like oral medication, physical therapy, corticosteroid injections, and walking with a cane. If those don’t alleviate your symptoms, your doctor may recommend total hip replacement surgery.
2. HIP PAIN MAKES IT HARD TO PARTICIPATE IN YOUR DAILY ROUTINE.
If you’re having trouble climbing stairs or standing up from a seated position, and other treatments haven’t worked, you may qualify for hip replacement surgery. Hip pain usually stems from arthritis. Removing the damaged joint and replacing it with an artificial one can relieve your symptoms.
3. YOU’RE IN GOOD HEALTH AND ARE ACTIVE.
Your doctor will perform a physical exam and run some tests to make sure you meet the criteria for anterior hip replacement surgery. They’ll also check your current range of motion and compare the hip to be replaced with your other hip. It’s important that you are active in your daily life because movement plays a major role in your recovery after surgery.
4. YOU HAVEN’T HAD A PREVIOUS HIP REPLACEMENT.
If you already have hip implants from a prior surgery, you likely won’t be eligible for anterior hip replacement. Your doctor may also recommend the traditional posterior approach if you have:
- A previously fractured hip joint socket (acetabulum) that required hardware to fix it
- Hip dysplasia
5. YOU’RE FULLY COMMITTED TO RECOVERY.
Recovering from an anterior hip replacement will require some effort on your part. You’ll need to do physical therapy for at least six to eight weeks. At Beebe Healthcare, we can provide physical therapy in your home or at one of our physical rehabilitation offices in Sussex County.
Most people can return to their normal activities within three months. Full recovery from anterior hip replacement surgery takes about a year.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Many people with hip pain can benefit from anterior hip replacement surgery. This approach typically has a faster recovery time than posterior hip replacement surgery, so you can get back to doing the things you love as quickly as possible.
If you’re interested in hip replacement surgery, talk to your primary care provider about getting a referral to an orthopaedic specialist near you. Need a primary care provider? Call 302-645-3332 to schedule an appointment with a Beebe Healthcare doctor.
