New approach to hip replacement surgery now offered at Banner Estrella Medical Center
PHOENIX (April 5, 2010) — Arthritis and limited hip mobility are two common reasons why approximately 200,000 hip replacements are performed in the United States each year—and that number continues to rise as the population ages. For patients, the hip replacement surgery generally means they will experience significant pain and lengthy recoveries, but now, there’s a new technique offered at Banner Estrella Medical Center that gets people back on their feet at a more rapid pace.
Orthopedic surgeons at the West Phoenix hospital began using the anterior hip replacement approach to improve the traditional hip replacement procedure last October. Accessing the hip joint from the front of the hip, as opposed to the side (lateral) or back (posterior) approach means the hip joint can be replaced without cutting the muscle that helps control the pelvis or leg during surgery. Studies show this new approach means less damage to tissue, less pain, fewer complications and a speedier recovery. Patients are often walking immediately after surgery.
For Goodyear resident Elizabeth Dewdney, 79, riding in the car for any length of time was very difficult. “It was painful to sit,” she said. “Even just going for 30 minutes to the doctor, or shopping.”
Gregory Sirounian, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Banner Estrella, introduced Dewdney to the anterior hip approach because he thought she was an ideal candidate for the procedure.
“Mrs. Dewdney was highly motivated, both before and after her hip replacement,” said Sirounian. “She was eager to rebuild strength in her hip after surgery and participated enthusiastically in her post-operative recovery program. With only minimal damage to the muscles around her hip and a positive attitude, she was able to regain strength and function sooner and more easily than would typically be expected with other approaches.”
“I didn’t know there were different ways of replacing a hip,” Dewdney said. “I definitely wanted relief, so I told Dr. Sirounian, ‘Let’s go ahead and do it.’”
Since her successful operation in November, Dewdney said she has been living pain-free. She regularly visits her community’s fitness center, working with trainers to strengthen her leg and muscles. “I didn’t realize it was going to be so easy,” she said. “If you can say surgery is a pleasant experience, I would say it was a very pleasant experience.”
The new technique reduces the incision length from 10 to 12 inches to four or five inches. It also reduces the length of hospital stays by days and recovery time by months.
About Banner Estrella
Banner Estrella Medical Center, located on the southeast corner of the Loop 101 Freeway and Thomas Road, is a 214-bed full-service, non-profit hospital offering general surgery, bariatric surgery, orthopedics, women and infants services, a full cardiac program with open-heart surgery, emergency services, and medical imaging services. Banner Estrella is part of Banner Health, the leading provider of health care services in the Valley with 10 hospitals. Visit us online at www.BannerHealth.com/Estrella.
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Editor’s note: For visual opportunities or to schedule interviews with Dr. Sirounian or Elizabeth Dewdney, contact Tiffany Tcheng in Public Relations at 623-327-7168.
Contact:
Tiffany Tcheng
Public Relations
Banner Estrella Medical Center
(623) 327-7168
