HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY

By Dr. J. Mand\ume Kerina

Hip replacement surgery is one of the most successful surgeries available today, with more than 330,000 procedures performed in the United States every year. Studies have shown that patients get more improvement in their quality of life from hip and knee replacement surgery than any other operation or surgical specialty after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Although there are several different hip approaches available to your surgeon, at UNOVA we utilize the Modified Hueter Direct anterior approach for our primary total hip replacements. This approach involves a 3 to 4-inch incision on the front of the hip that allows the joint to be replaced by moving muscles aside along their natural tissue planes, without detaching any tendons or ligaments. It can be done as an outpatient procedure and encourages early mobilization with no precautions for dislocation.

Your surgical journey will start after you and one of the highly skilled total joint surgeons at the UNOVA Hip and Knee Center have determined that you have exhausted all the appropriate conservative measures to address your hip arthritis. With the UNOVA proprietary opioid free anesthesia and post-operative recovery program, patients are moving with a walker in recovery, and are free of a cane by day 6-12, free to resume their normal activities as they tolerate.

Joint replacement should be considered when:
• Arthritis is affecting a patient’s quality of life
• Arthritis is affecting a patient’s ability to function normally (i.e. putting on shoes/socks, getting out of a chair, etc.)
• Arthritis is moderate to severe on x-rays
• Patients are healthy enough to safely undergo an elective procedure

The benefits of the surgery outweigh the risks of the surgery. For most patients who have hip arthritis, pain is also a significant limitation. Pain is a subjective measure however, and some patients who have a high pain tolerance may be able to live with pain for many years. For most patients, quality of life is the most important factor in deciding towards surgery. If surgery is the best outcome, you will undergo a pre-surgical evaluation to determine how best to optimize you for your surgery.

To further explore the possibility of a total hip and knee replacement with Dr J. Mandume Kerina, please contact UNOVA Health at:
(352) 973-4070 | unovahealth.com