Total hip replacement is heralded as one of the best man-made operations ever. A different method of performing this surgical procedure appears to have additional significant benefits for patients. The Direct Anterior Approach allows for a true muscle-sparing method.
No muscles are cut or removed from their bony attachments.
This has resulted in less pain, easier ability to ambulate immediately following the surgery, shorter time in the hospital, and a more rapid recovery. In fact, recovery milestones such as discontinuing a walking aid and walking distances have been noted to occur earlier in the post-operative period. It has also been demonstrated that a patient’s quality of gait returns at an earlier time than with other methods of performing this surgery.
Our patients time in the hospital is now reduced to 1-2 days. In appropriate patients this procedure can be performed in an outpatient setting as well. In short, the Direct Anterior Approach can provide a shorter time to reach functional milestones and a shorter time to recovery.