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Dr. Tsao explains the size and placement of a hip replacement incision. Dr. Tsao currently practices in the western Phoenix metropolitan area in private practice and performs surgerical procedures at Banner Boswell Medical Center in Sun City, Arizona.
Dr. Tsao:
So if you’re about to have a hip replacement the placement of your incision and the size of your incision depends upon the type of approach you’re going to get. Traditionally in the United States hip replacements have been done with maximal hip exposure. There is a posterior hip approach and there is an anterolateral hip approach and there is an anterior hip approach. In English, posterior is in the butt, anterior is in the groin and the anterolateral is on the side.
The size of that hip incision depends upon the type of approach a surgeon is doing. In the United States the bigger trend has been towards muscle sparing hip approaches, so the incisions are usually a little bit smaller and we spare the muscles inside. Again, those can be done from the same directions and whether or not your surgeon chooses to do that depends upon usually the patient, the type of implant, and the surgeon’s training.
Incision size can go anywhere from several inches to a foot and I tell all my patients, the incision is as big as it needs to be to get your hip replacement in and to do the work I need to do well, and as small as I can possibly make it so I can close it up quicker.
About Dr. Audrey K. Tsao, M.D.:
Audrey Tsao received her engineering degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. She attended medical school at Cornell University and completed her orthopaedic residency at Northwestern University in Chicago. She returned to Johns Hopkins University to complete a fellowship in Arthritis and Adult reconstruction surgery.
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Keywords:
Conditions: Arthritis, Osteoarthritis
Related Terms: Knee Replacement, Hip Replacement, Partial Knee Replacement, Total Knee Replacement, Partial Hip Replacement, Total Hip Replacement, Hip Reconstruction, Knee Reconstruction, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Physical Therapy
Health Care Provider: Banner Boswell, Boswell Medical Center, Banner Boswell Medical Center
Locations: East Valley, Surprise, Glendale, Litchfield Park, Peoria, Phoenix, Sun City, Arizona, 85351
Expert: Dr. Audrey Tsao, Dr. Audrey K. Tsao, M.D., Audrey Tsao, M.D, Orthopedic Surgeon Audrey Tsao, Dr. Tsao
Expertise: Orthopedic Surgery, Arthritis, Osteoarthris, Partial Knee Replacement, Total Knee Replacement, Partial Hip Replacement, Total Hip Replacement, Knee Reconstruction, Hip Reconstruction, Muscle Sparing Surgery
Add a Comment1 Comments
I like "Plain English!" Very clear and informative!
November 15, 2010 - 10:39amThis Comment