The Benefits of Minimally Invasive Surgery for Treating Hip Problems

If you have a hip problem and are faced with the possibility of surgery, you may want to consider a minimally invasive option like arthroscopy. With an arthroscopy, you can expect smaller incisions and speedier recovery. 

At Western Orthopaedics, board-certified orthopedic hip surgeon Brian White, MD, offers expert and compassionate care with the latest surgical techniques. 

That’s why he’s proud to offer arthroscopy as an option for minimally invasive hip reconstruction surgery, and it’s a particularly effective procedure for labral reconstruction. The labrum is a ring of cartilage that acts as a gasket, holding the ball of the joint in place and cushioning the joint.

Why an arthroscopy is a better option 

Though some may perform this procedure in an outpatient setting, Dr. White prefers to use a hospital and has his patients stay overnight, instead. This ensures his patients receive the best of care than those who are discharged on the same day.

With an arthroscopy, you can avoid a total hip replacement. Instead Dr. White works to reconstruct the labrum using a graft of labral tissue. Rather than repair a patient’s poor quality, chronically torn, painful labrum, he makes them with donated tissue. Through his own research and papers, this approach has proven to be far superior to labral repair.

Dr. White uses either general or spinal anesthesia. He then makes a small incision by your hip joint and inserts a small camera so he can see how damaged your joint is. With an arthroscopy, he’s not just reconstructing your joints; he’s also diagnosing the cause of your hip pain. 

Dr. White takes healthy tissue from a healthy donor. He uses this grafted tissue to replace your damaged labral joints.  

The benefits of an arthroscopy

Because the incision is so small with an arthroscopy, you don’t have as many risks. In addition to causing less trauma to your tissues, a smaller incision means less pain, a lower risk of infection, less blood loss, and less chance of scarring.   

And your recovery will be easier and a lot shorter. You experience less joint pain and stiffening. You can even go back to work or school within a few days of your operation. With traditional hip replacement surgery, you may need several weeks or even months for recovery.

If you’ve had hip surgery previously with less-than-optimal results, call Dr. White for a consultation to learn if labral reconstruction with arthroscopy could eliminate your pain and restore your range of motion. 

To learn more about minimally invasive hip reconstruction surgery, call our Denver, Colorado, main office at 303-927-0151 for a consultation or request an appointment right on this website.