North Fulton Hospital Using New Hip Replacement Technique

North Fulton Hospital is on the cutting edge of surgical practice with the recently added Anterior Approach Hip Replacement technique.

Hip replacement surgery is performed to help decrease pain, increase mobility and improve quality of life. While the surgery - which replaces the head of the thigh bone and the ball-and-socket mechanism in the hip with artificial implants - has been used to treat joint disease since the 1960s; the new Anterior Approach technique for total hip replacement was only developed in recent years.

Traditionally, the operation was done making a 10- to 12-inch incision on the side of the hip. The muscles would then be detached from the hip, which would be dislocated. Now, the Anterior Approach allows the surgeon to perform the surgery through a smaller incision, without detaching the muscles from either the hip or thigh bone.

"The Anterior Approach to hip replacement allows me to access the hip joint without cutting any muscle," said Dr. Jeffrey Garrett, a physician at North Fulton Hospital. "This technique utilizes the natural space between muscles, which minimizes number of places I have to cut the tissues. This provides the potential for a quicker recovery when compared to traditional hip replacement surgery."

According to the hospital, the benefits of the Anterior Approach are:

• Possible accelerated recovery time because key muscles are not detached during the operation.
• Potential for fewer restrictions during recovery. Although each patient responds differently, this procedure seeks to help patients more freely bend their hip and bear their full weight immediately or soon after surgery.
• Possible reduced scarring because the technique allows for one relatively small incision. Since the incision is on the front side of the leg, patients may be spared from the pain of sitting on scar tissue.

"Not only can patients see relief from the symptoms that brought them to me in the first place," said Garrett, "but they have the potential to recover faster, with less pain than with a traditional replacement."

High-impact activities, including tennis, basketball and jogging, should be avoided after any type of hip replacement surgery. Instead, patients can walk, swim or ride a stationary bicycle to increase muscle strength and improve cardiovascular health without injuring their new hip.

For more information or a referral to a provider at North Fulton Hospital that performs the Anterior Approach to hip replacement, call 770-751-2600.