Major Advantages of an Anterior Approach to Hip Replacement Surgery

If you need a total hip replacement, you’re in good company. Over half a million Americans get a total hip replacement each year. With a new prosthetic joint, you can expect a significant improvement in your quality of life. 

The surgical approach your provider uses for your hip replacement makes a big difference in your experience during and after your surgery. The right approach is the one that’s right for your unique needs. 

That’s why at his private practice in Houston, Texas, board-certified orthopedic surgeon Kwan (Kevin) Jun Park, MD, evaluates hip concerns and creates a personalized course of treatment designed to give you the best outcome possible.

For many patients, a direct anterior hip replacement offers advantages that make it the surgical approach of choice when possible. Keep reading to learn more about this type of hip replacement surgery and whether it could be right for you. 

Understanding direct anterior hip replacement

To better understand what sets the direct anterior approach apart, it’s necessary to understand what’s involved in other hip replacement surgeries. 

Traditional hip replacement surgery

During traditional hip replacement surgery, your surgeon makes an incision (usually 10-12 inches long) on either the back of your hip (posterior approach) or the side of your hip (lateral approach). 

With both posterior and lateral hip replacement approaches, your surgeon detaches your muscles and tendons from your hip to replace the diseased or damaged joint, then surgically reattaches them. 

This process means a longer recovery time and more pain, which can sometimes last many months. 

Sometimes the muscles don’t heal correctly, increasing your risk of the ball dislocating from the socket and the hip replacement failing. This is why if you have lateral or posterior hip replacement surgery, your surgeon issues a list of precautions (e.g., no leg crossing and no bending past 90 degrees) to lower your risk. 

Direct anterior hip replacement

The direct anterior hip replacement uses minimally invasive surgical techniques. Dr. Park makes a 3-4 inch incision on the front of your hip, where he can separate and move aside the muscles and tendons instead of detaching them. 

The best way to learn if this approach is right for you is by scheduling an appointment with Dr. Park, who’s skilled in this technically demanding procedure. 

In general, the direct anterior approach may be the best type of surgery for your hip replacement if you:

• Are healthy enough for a total hip replacement
• Are active and wish to return your activities as soon as possible. 

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether you want hip replacement and if you prefer anterior or traditional hip replacement surgery. 

Major advantages of direct anterior hip replacement

If Dr. Park clears you for a direct anterior hip replacement, you can expect to enjoy several major benefits, including:

Less muscle pain 

Since Dr. Park separates and moves your muscles rather than detaches and surgically reattaches them, there’s less trauma to these tissues. This means better joint stability after your procedure and less pain as you recover. 

Less scarring

Since Dr. Park makes a much smaller incision on the front of your hip compared to the 10-12 inch incision traditional hip surgery requires, you have less scarring with the direct anterior approach.

Shorter hospital stay

Because the direct anterior approach is less invasive than other hip replacement approaches, patients normally leave the hospital or surgery center sooner — often on the same day as their surgery. 

Faster healing, less risk of dislocation

The muscle-sparing technique and smaller incision help speed your healing after a direct anterior hip replacement. This means you can expect to return to your normal daily activities faster with a much lower risk of dislocation. 

Plus, you don’t have the same restrictions for how to move your hip, as you do with traditional approaches.

To learn if a direct anterior hip replacement is the right approach for your hip surgery, schedule an appointment with Dr. Park at our office in Houston, Texas.