Hip replacement: Your next step toward quality of life

If you need hip replacement, there are two distinct approaches to consider: anterior or posterior. Although both require surgery, the goal is to minimize the amount of invasiveness needed to achieve your best possible outcome. Fortunately, advancements in surgical techniques and technologies have lessened the risk of complications from either approach.

Anterior vs. posterior

Regardless of which approach is employed, the goal is the same: providing patients a new hip. The primary difference between anterior and posterior is where the incision is made and how invasive the procedure is.

With a posterior replacement, surgeons complete the procedure from the side of the hip and must cut through muscle. In anterior replacement, surgeons can make smaller incisions and avoid cutting muscle by going in through the front. This makes it easier for patients to get back on their feet faster.

No matter the approach, the much more pressing factor in recovery is implant placement and how the implants are positioned to ensure:

• They incorporate into the body in the best way possible
• They're oriented in a way that minimizes the position of instability

New technologies such as robotic guidance have significantly improved outcomes from orthopedic surgery, particularly in hip replacements. They've also lifted certain postsurgical restrictions that patients had to endure in years' past.

Some 70-80% of patients who have come into Reid Health and who are candidates for hip replacement have benefited from the anterior approach.

Key advice: Finding a trusted surgeon

The best way to approach hip replacement is to find a surgeon you trust and who has a high volume of surgical experience in their history. Doing so will ensure you get every bit of information you need about the different approaches and feel confident knowing your surgeon has your best interests in mind.

Trust also goes a long way in making the decision to do what's best for your future health and mobility. Many people fear visiting with an orthopedic expert.

If you would like to discuss your options, contact Reid Health Comprehensive Bone & Joint Center.