Anterior Hip Replacement at Inova Alexandria Hospital

What is anterior hip replacement?

Thousands of people suffering from arthritis, hip pain and stiffness now choose a less invasive procedure when hip replacement surgery is their treatment of choice: the anterior approach, one of the least invasive surgical options.

The anterior approach to hip replacement allows the surgeon to reach the hip joint from the front of the hip as opposed to the lateral (side) or the posterior (back) approach. This way the hip can be replaced without detachment of muscle from the pelvis or femur during surgery. The surgeon can simply work through the natural interval between the muscles.

Unlike a traditional hip replacement approach, this technique allows the surgeon to work around muscles keeping them intact. By keeping the muscles intact, the Anterior Approach may allow for less pain, faster recovery, quicker stability and fewer post-operative restrictions.

Potential advantages of anterior hip replacement

• More Rapid Return to Normal Activities
• Reduced Risk of Dislocation
• More Accurate Leg Length Control
• More Accurate Implant Positioning 

The hana® Surgical Table

The hana is a technologically advanced surgical table used to enhance success of hip replacment surgery done with the anterior approach.

Who is a candidate for this procedure?

Do you suffer with hip arthritis and limited hip movement?

When a hip replacement is the chosen treatment of the patient and their doctor, you may now choose the anterior approach, a tissue-sparing alternative to traditional hip replacement surgery.

How does the anterior approach affect hip pain and stiffness after surgery?

The most important muscles for hip function, the gluteal muscles that attach to the pelvis and femur, are left undisturbed when the anterior approach is used. Therefore, those muscles will not require the usual healing process to recover from surgical trauma.

In addition, the anterior approach is a technique that has been proven to minimize the both the amount of pain, and the amount of recovery time required after surgery.

Doctors performing anterior approach hip replacment

Dr. Nigel M. Azer is the only doctor at Inova Alexandria Hospital performing the anterior approach technique for hip replacement. He is board certified in orthopedic surgery.
See Dr. Azer's profile