> Home > About Us > News/Events

January 31, 2008

New procedure speeds healing after hip replacement surgery

Dr. Gerald King of Western Carolina Orthopaedic Specialists has introduced a new version of hip replacement surgery, which is minimally invasive and allows the patient to recover faster.

The new technique, called anterior supine intermuscular, or ASI, hip replacement, requires a shorter incision on the front of the hip, instead of the foot-long incision and muscle release necessary in the standard procedure. Rehabilitation is accelerated and hospital time decreased because the hip is replaced without detachment of muscle from the pelvis or femur. In the anterior approach, the hip is approached and replaced through a natural interval between muscles.

“There is less muscle injury because we are not having to cut any muscle. There is less blood loss and less subsequent pain,” King said. “The muscles are spread apart, which allows us to get right to the hip without having to cut any muscles,” he said.

Patients do better faster after the new surgery, said King, who has performed the surgery on several patients since his arrival in November. The procedure is relatively new to the area, King said. He completed extra training for the new procedure.

After a hip replacement is done using the new technique, patients typically return home sooner, when compared to the standard procedure.

“With this procedure, the patient is usually up and fully weight bearing right away. The patient does not have to observe the same precautions as patients who have had traditional hip replacement,” King said. “Patients having this method of hip replacement often come back within two to three weeks, walking with minimal aids. By a month to six weeks, the patient is usually getting around very nicely. Pain seems to be much less and we don’t have to give the patient the usual amount of narcotics.”

The benefits of the less invasive hip replacement include:
• Less tissue trauma — muscles and tendons are not cut • Reduced blood loss • Smaller incision with less scarring. Shorter hospital stays • Quicker and less painful rehabilitation • Faster return to work and daily activities

The muscle-sparing procedure can be done on most patients unless they have previously had hip surgery, are very obese, or have significant deformity of the hip. The new surgery costs about the same as the standard operation and most insurance companies cover it, King said.