Anterior Hip Replacement Approach

There was a time when a hip replacement meant spending a week or more in the hospital, followed by a lengthy and sometimes difficult recovery. At Beaufort Memorial, we offer the latest techniques and a full range of minimally invasive surgical approaches, including anterior hip replacement, to help you address hip pain and get back to your active lifestyle much faster than with traditional hip replacement.

With the anterior approach, which is done from the front of the hip, our orthopedic surgeons can replace the ball and socket of the joint without damaging nearby muscles or tendons. That equates to a shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery and a reduced risk for hip dislocation following the surgical procedure.

Learn more about treatments for hip pain at our next Solving Hip and Knee Pain seminar. Or, call 843-522-7435 to discuss your symptoms and request an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon.

Anterior Hip Replacement Procedure

Older hip replacement methods required large incisions and detaching key muscles and tendons, resulting in more trauma. The anterior approach leaves those key areas undamaged and provides a much less invasive alternative. For you, that may offer a variety of benefits, including:

• Less pain: The post-operative experience is usually much easier.
• Less scarring: The surgery requires just a single, relatively small incision.
• Fewer restrictions: Most patients have significantly greater mobility and range of motion immediately following surgery and can bear full weight when it feels comfortable.
• Faster recovery: Most patients recover and return to full function faster than with traditional hip replacement.
• Decreased risk of dislocation: A common concern for hip replacements is that the new ball and socket will fall out of place. Because the anterior approach does not bother surrounding tissue, you are much less likely to experience dislocation or other complications.

At the Joint Replacement Center, we work to make your surgical procedure as easy as possible. From our pre-op education classes to post-op therapy and recovery, we’re here for you, because our biggest reward is seeing you walk out of our facility without pain in the way.

Download our guide to anterior hip replacement.

Anterior Hip Replacement Recovery

With many minimally invasive procedures, hospital stays last between one and four days. Your recovery will begin the day of your surgery with light physical activity. The day after surgery, you’ll begin one-on-one physical therapy until your therapy goals are met, at which point you will be discharged.

At home, you’ll continue your recovery with outpatient rehabilitation for an average of six weeks to help you achieve your previous activity levels and beyond.

Read hip replacement patient Hazen Cully’s story.

Count on Gold Standard Care

Whether anterior hip replacement or another approach is a better fit for you, you can rest assured you’re in expert hands.

Since 2015, Beaufort has been recognized with the Gold Seal of Approval^® by The Joint Commission for top-of-the-line care in joint replacement surgery. The Joint Commission also has awarded our team an advanced disease-specific certification for hip replacement, an achievement earned by only two other centers in South Carolina.

Have more questions about orthopedic surgery? Get answers to frequently asked questions.