Minimally Invasive Total Hip Replacement Using the Anterior Approach
St. Joseph Healthcare offers the anterior approach for hip replacement surgery. The anterior approach can result in less scarring, shorter recovery time, and fewer restrictions post-surgery than the traditional approach. The procedure uses a specifically designed hip positioning table called the hana® table. This provides patients with the ability to get back to their lives faster and are excited to have this choice in the convenience of their community.
The anterior approach for total hip replacement is a tissue sparing alternative to traditional hip replacement surgery that provides the potential for less pain, faster recovery, and improved mobility because the muscle tissues are spared during the surgical procedure. The technique allows for the surgeon to work between the muscles and tissues without detaching them from either the hip or thigh bones, helping to spare the tissue from trauma.
Keeping the muscles intact may also help to prevent dislocations. With the anterior approach, the surgeon uses one small incision on the front of the hip as opposed to the side or back. Since the incision is in front, patients can avoid the pain of sitting on the incision site.
The anterior approach procedure for total hip replacement has been gaining popularity recently due to its potential benefits including possible accelerated recovery time, fewer restrictions during recovery, potential for the implant to be more stable and possible reduced scarring. The anterior approach can help larger, heavier patients to become candidates for minimally invasive hip surgery. The anterior approach enters the body closer to the hip joint, with far less tissue between the skin and the bones of the hip, so more patients may be candidates.
If you are thinking about a total hip replacement, please contact your St. Joseph Healthcare Primary Care Provider to discuss your options.
Robotic Surgery is Changing the Surgical Experience
In keeping with our tradition of bringing the most advanced technology to the region, St. Joseph Healthcare is the first in Nashua to use the innovative da Vinci® Surgical System, a breakthrough approach to surgery.
The da Vinci® Si is the most state-of-the-art, cutting edge robotic surgical system available. It is the only da Vinci® robot which offers a completely integrated platform, making it the most enabling technology ever offered in robotic surgery. Enhanced 3D HD visualization with 10x magnification offers surgeons an immersive view of the operative field superior to any other surgical approach, including traditional open surgery and laparoscopy. The da Vinci® Si System is designed to keep hospitals and surgeons at the forefront of minimally invasive surgery, allowing seamless integration with our current operating room and the expandability to accommodate future technologies. This is the platform on which all future da Vinci® technologies will be developed.
