Minimally invasive hip replacement surgery at Leicester Hospital

What is minimally invasive hip replacement surgery?

This type of surgery is just as safe and effective as traditional hip surgery, but with quicker recovery times. In comparison to traditional hip surgery, minimally invasive replacement hip surgery reduces how deep the surgeon creates an incision.

Why might I need a hip replacement?

Over time, the surfaces on the hip joint can start to wear. This can be caused by osteoarthritis or a previous injury to the hip.

Osteoarthritis is painful as joints become stiff and inflamed when the smooth lining between the joints gets damaged or wears away. Without the protection of this lining, the rough surfaces of your bones rub together as you move, causing the pain that is all too common to sufferers.

Simple, everyday things like going for a walk or even getting dressed become difficult. There’s no cure for osteoarthritis and it can get worse with time. However, joints can be replaced successfully, improving mobility and reducing pain.

How is the procedure performed?

1. The procedure is performed under anaesthetic, while the patient lies on their side.
2. Rather than cut muscles to gain access to the hip joint, the soft-tissue is simply moved aside.
3. The prosthetics implants are fitted through the small window created between two muscles at the top of the hip.
4. Some of the implants are aligned and impacted with an instrument inserted through an additional keyhole incision lower down the leg.