Hip pain can go beyond uncomfortable to debilitating – limiting your range of motion and keeping you from daily activities. Finding long-lasting pain relief and taking action when it means you may have to have surgery can be an overwhelming decision for many individuals.
The Joint Center at Leesburg Regional Medical Center has developed joint replacement programs designed to make the journey a little easier. Their skilled orthopedic team will see you through every phase of care, from pre-op education through your last inpatient therapy session. And, you’ll experience it all with a dedicated orthopedic team ready to assist you in every step of the way to ensure that your concerns are addressed and that you start to feel and move better.
We caught up with Carl Ollivierre, MD, FACS, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Florida Musculoskeletal Institute and on the medical staff at Leesburg Regional Medical Center. Dr. Ollivierre is among the few surgeons nationwide who specialize in the latest breakthrough in hip joint surgery, the anterior approach hip replacement. This pioneer technique minimizes trauma to muscles and tissues, facilitates shorter recovery and rehabilitation times, and results in a dramatic decrease in the risk of hip dislocation.
To shed light on this advanced hip replacement technique, we spoke with Dr. Ollivierre.
Q: What are the primary reasons a patient needs hip replacement surgery?
A: Most patients have joint stiffness, swelling, a sensation of bone rubbing on bone, along with intractable pain and discomfort. These symptoms are most commonly related to arthritis or injury to the hip joint, and significantly affect an individual’s lifestyle. When all other options of management have failed, hip replacement surgery is the recommended treatment.
Q: What is the difference, and why is it advantageous to perform a true anterior hip replacement versus traditional hip replacement?
A: Due to the way that the hip joint degenerates with wear and tear, in all hip replacement surgeries, the goal is to replace the ball of the femur and the socket of the pelvis. With the anterior approach, there will be significantly less muscles trauma. This is critical because I want to always preserve and protect as much of my patient’s muscle and soft tissue as possible. With this approach there is much less pain. With a posterior or traditional hip replacement, the surgeon must cut through the major muscles to access the joint, but with the anterior approach, we can avoid cutting through muscle altogether. Also, there is a much lower rate of joint dislocation, and this method reduces the risk of limb length inequality and requires a shorter hospital stay.
Q: What should a patient expect as far as recovery and physical therapy after surgery?
A: With posterior replacement, a patient will have to avoid certain movements like bending at the hip or crossing their legs for up to 8 weeks to prevent dislocation, but with the anterior approach, there is not nearly as much restriction, and there is a significant decrease in discomfort while healing. I recommend two to six weeks of physical therapy to help retrain the joint function, muscle strength, and to regain range-of-motion. Most patients can return to their normal activities in a short period of time with few limitations.
CARL OLLIVIERRE, MD, FACS
Dr. Ollivierre is among the few surgeons nationwide to specialize in the latest breakthrough in hip joint surgery, the anterior approach hip replacement. This pioneer technique involves less trauma to muscles and tissues, shorter recovery and rehab
times and a dramatic decrease in the risk of hip dislocation.
Medical Degree – Howard University College of Medicine
Residency – Washington Hospital Center, General Surgery; Howard University Hospital, Orthopaedic Surgery
Fellowship – Sports Medicine, Virginia, Sports Medicine Institute, Georgetown University
Board Certified – American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Fellow – American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Community Involvement
Dr. Ollivierre participates in many trips to Haiti to assist in medical care and is a guest teacher at St. George’s University in Grenada.
Leesburg Regional Medical Center
If you or someone you know has hip pain or limited range of motion due to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, injury, fracture, or tumors, it’s always best to seek out medical experts that can help you weigh your options. Deciding what’s best for you can seem like an overwhelming decision, but the advanced team at Leesburg Regional Medical Center partners with patients to plan out the best treatment methods.
Orthopedic surgery
The Joint Center at Leesburg Regional Medical Center offers a comprehensive, specialized continuum of care for conditions and injuries affecting the shoulder, hip and knee joints. Their surgical specialists pride themselves on taking a minimally-invasive approach, designed to limit complications associated with surgery, prevent future injuries and reduce pain and scarring.
Operating rooms at Leesburg Regional Medical Center have some of the most advanced equipment available for use in orthopedic surgery, including special air-handling systems to reduce the risk of post-operative infection and specially-designed sterile helmets for surgeons.
With a program focused on wellness and rehabilitation, their patients are up and walking just hours after surgery. The caring nurses, dedicated Joint Care Coordinator, and specially-trained therapists are all focused on speedy recoveries and making sure each patient gets back to the activities they enjoy most.
To learn more about the Joint Center at
Leesburg Regional Medical Center, visit www.LeesburgRegional.org/services/surgical-services/
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