Anterior Hip Replacement Specialist

Southern Joint Replacement Institute

Orthopaedic Surgery & Fellowship Trained Adult Orthopaedic Surgeons located in Nashville, TN

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people undergo hip replacement to treat devastating hip pain and dysfunction. Expert orthopedic surgeon Jeffrey T. Hodrick, MD, and the team at the Southern Joint Replacement Institute in Nashville, Tennessee, offer the latest hip replacement procedure, direct anterior hip replacement, to restore hip movement faster than ever before. Dr. Hodrick teaches direct anterior hip replacement techniques to surgeons around the world and has performed well over a 1,000 anterior hip replacements. Contact the office or book an appointment online to learn more.

Anterior Hip Replacement Q & A

What is a hip replacement?

Hip replacement is a safe and effective surgical procedure to remove damaged cartilage and bone from the hip. The damaged tissues are replaced with a metal and plastic artificial joint that works just as the natural joint worked.

Hip replacement can help restore pain-free function to the hip. It is most commonly used to treat arthritis of the hip.

At Southern Joint Replacement Institute, Dr. Hodrick performs a direct anterior hip replacement. This new approach to hip replacement has lower risks for pain and bleeding than traditional hip replacements. It also has a faster recovery time so you can return to the activities you love more quickly.

 

How is a direct anterior hip replacement performed?

Direct anterior hip replacement takes about one hour. Patients typically receive a spinal anesthetic, with light sedation. This is safer than a general anesthetic allowing the patient to breathe on their own, rather than through a tube. it also lowers the risk of bleeding or having a blood clot

Dr. Hodrick will make an incision in the front of your hip. This avoids cutting through the gluteus maximus and having to detach and reattach tendons from the back of the hip, as is done in posterior hip replacements.

We simply spread the muscles and soft tissues apart, allowing easy access to the hip joint. This decreases the pain and inflammation of surgery and allows early mobilization. 

Once the muscle is out of the way, Dr. Hodrick removes any damaged tissue from your thigh bone (femur) and hip socket. 

After the joint is in place, Dr. Hodrick moves your soft tissue back where it belongs and sews up the incision. A nurse takes you to a recovery area where you wake up. You may be able to go home the same day if you’re having an outpatient hip replacement, or you may spend a night or two in the hospital, depending on your health.

 

Am I a candidate for a hip replacement?

You may benefit from a hip replacement if you have severe pain or dysfunction in your hip. Hip replacements are most commonly used in people who have:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Hip fracture
  • Severe hip infection

 

You don’t have to live with hip pain. Contact Southern Joint Replacement Institute or book an appointment online to learn if a hip replacement can help you.

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