"HIP" DEVELOPMENTS IN HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY
Unique Surgery Speeds Recovery Time; Patient Climbs Mt. Everest Within Months of Procedure
BACKGROUND
Nearly 200, 000 people will need hip replacement surgery within the next year - a painful process that can require up to four months recovery - until now.
One day after surgery, a 61-year-old patient was climbing up and down stairs. Three months later, he was climbing Mt. Everest.
This new anterior, or front-of-the-joint approach is unique because it doesn't require detaching the muscle from the bone. Since the muscles don't have to heal back to the bone, the patient can start using their hip right away. Also, this technique only requires a small four-inch incision as opposed to the traditional 10-inch incision needed to reach the bone. Bottom line: less trauma to the leg equals less recovery time.
SOUNDBITES
- Jack Hildebrand, Hip Replacement Patient and Mt. Everest Climber
- Joel M. Matta, Orthopedic Surgeon; Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles
B-ROLL INCLUDES
Doctor/Patient Examinations, X-Rays, Graphics of Incisions.
VIDEO PROVIDED BY: OSI