Hip Replacement Using Antero-Lateral Approach

DAVENPORT, IA, Sep 08, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Sports are a big part of Jeff Farland's life. In addition to a nearly 30-year career in parks and recreation, including eight years as Director of Leisure Facilities and Services for the city of Davenport, Iowa, he enjoys his own athletic and recreational pursuits. So when hip pain curtailed his activity, he sought a doctor's help.

"I haven't been able to golf much and I'd love to play softball again," said Farland. "Not being able to walk the dog, work around the house or garden, it's really restricted my life."

Now, Farland is on his way back to an active lifestyle, after undergoing a total hip replacement surgery that will be broadcast on OR-Live.com. The webcast will premiere Monday, Sept. 8, 2008, at 7 p.m. CDT.

The live panel webcast, which will include Farland, now a professor in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration at Western Illinois University, will originate from the Adler Health Education Center, in the lower level of the Genesis Heart Institute on the Genesis Medical Center, East Rusholme Street campus.

The hip replacement surgery is performed by Joseph Martin, M.D., Orthopaedic and Rheumatology Associates, P.C. (ORA). ORA, one of the largest practices of its kind between Chicago and Denver, has seven locations and more than 20 doctors providing bone and joint care to residents of eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

According to the National Hospital Discharge Survey, more than 234,000 hip replacement surgeries are performed in the United States each year. That number is expected to continue growing as the population ages.

The most common reason for hip replacement is osteoarthritis in the hip joint. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that breaks down cartilage in the joint, causing bones to rub together.

Total hip replacement also is a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (a disease that causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling), osteonecrosis (a disease that causes the bone in joints to die), injury of the hip joint and bone tumors that break down the hip joint.

In the webcast, Dr. Martin uses an antero-lateral approach to perform the hip replacement procedure. This approach allows the patient to lie on his or her side during the surgical procedure. After making a four-inch incision, Dr. Martin divides only a small amount of muscle to gain access to the joint.

"This approach has been associated with a lower dislocation rate," explained Dr. Martin, who is certified by the American board of Orthopaedic Surgery. "It is designed to minimize muscle injury, while still providing a clear view of the joint during surgery."

Advantages of modern total hip replacement include accelerated recovery time; potential for fewer restrictions during recovery because patients more freely bend their hip and bear their full weight immediately or soon after surgery; reduced scarring because the technique allows for one relatively small incision; and greater stability of the implant sooner after the surgery.
The pain control protocol used results in less discomfort during the important recovery period while minimizing the side effects associated with some pain medicines.

During the procedure, Dr. Martin will dislocate the hip, ream the acetabulum, or hip socket to allow placement of a metal cup, remove the head, or ball of the femur (thigh bone) and some of the inner bone; insert a metal stem into the femur and add a metal ball to the end of the stem. Once the artificial ball and socket are realigned, the small amount of muscle that was divided to allow access to the joint is reattached and the incision closed. In addition to highlights of the surgical procedure, the webcast also will provide a glimpse of the inpatient physical therapy Farland goes through before his discharge from the hospital. Discussion also will include durability of hip replacements, recovery, life after hip replacement and the importance of having the procedure done in a high-volume facility.

"It's been well documented that complication rates are lower if you are at a hospital where these procedures are done often," says Dr. Martin. "That ensures the surgeons, nurses, and physical therapists are experienced in caring for joint replacement patients. It makes for a safer environment and that's definitely the case at Genesis."

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/reminder-orlive-presents-hip-replacement/story.aspx?guid={C53C364A-E5CA-48A6-92E2-1654F2E8AD5B}&dist=hppr

Suggested reading

Birmingham Hip Resurfacing in India
FREE quotes for hip replacement surgery and hip resurfacing surgery
Birmingham Hip Resurfacing versus Total Hip Replacement (BHR vs. THR)
Hip resurfacing surgery testimonials
Medical Tourism