The Benefits of Anterior Approach Hip Replacement Surgery

The hip replacement surgery is one of the most powerful, but complex surgeries available for patients at our orthopaedic practice. Once complete, this surgery provides a patient with a brand new hip joint and the potential to live life without the pain caused by serious injuries or degenerative diseases like arthritis. In this post, we’ll detail some of the benefits of the anterior approach hip replacement, but before we do that, let’s explain a little bit more about the different types of hip replacement surgeries.

Types of Hip Replacement Surgery

The most common and widely-practiced type of hip replacement is the posterior approach surgery. This approach has been around the longest and involves the surgeon making an incision at the back part of the hip near the buttocks. In this surgery, the doctor has good access to the full hip joint for replacement, but must cut through surrounding muscles and then re-attach them after surgery.

Another approach is the lateral hip replacement, which involves an incision being made on the side of the hip, but this approach is not widely used.

The final type is anterior approach hip replacement surgery, in which the surgeon makes a smaller incision at the front of the leg and avoids cutting through muscles and tendons while performing the operation. This approach is becoming more widely accepted and practiced by surgeons in recent years because it can provide several significant benefits to the patient.

Here are just a few of the benefits of the anterior approach.

Shorter Recovery Times

Patients undergoing anterior approach hip replacement can sometimes experience an accelerated recovery process when compared to the posterior approach. Because the surgeon doesn’t have to cut through and then re-attach muscles in the anterior approach, patients can gain joint stability faster and begin rehab and physical therapy sooner. This typically results in stronger muscles around the joint and an overall better recovery.

Less Scarring

The incision made in the anterior approach surgery doesn’t need to be as large as the incision in other approaches, so the scarring is typically less significant.

Fewer Restrictions After Surgery

Because of the less invasive nature of the anterior approach surgery and the avoidance of cutting muscles, patients can typically move more freely during recovery when compared to the posterior approach. Because the incision is made on the front instead of the back of the hip, patients can also avoid having to sit on the incision area after surgery, which may spare them some pain and restriction during the recovery process.

Is Hip Replacement Right For Me?

If you’ve been suffering from chronic hip pain and are ready to get your freedom back, it just might be. But the only way to know for sure is to schedule an appointment to visit with one of our surgeons. All you have to do is give us a call at 716-250-9999 or fill out this quick appointment request form.

With more advancements to hip replacement surgery being made continuously, there are fewer and fewer reasons to keep living with the pain. Pay us a quick visit, and let’s get your freedom back.