About Hip Arthroscopy
Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive orthopaedic procedure that repairs the hip. It can prevent a total hip replacement. The benefits of hip arthroscopy include:
- Smaller incisions
- Reduced risk of infection
- Less pain
- Faster return to everyday activities
Patients who are good candidates for hip arthroscopy usually suffer from these conditions and symptoms.
Hip Arthroscopy at Wake Forest Baptist Health
If you have hip pain with minimal to moderate arthritis, you should know that we perform more than 200 hip arthroscopies a year. This is well above the national average—in fact; most institutions perform 10-20 a year. This technically demanding surgery requires the deft hand of an experienced orthopaedic surgeon who understands all the risks and benefits involved in the procedure.
What You Can Expect
Evaluation for Hip Arthroscopy
In order to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure, our surgeons will want to:
- Perform a clinical examination
- Review your X-rays and MRIs
- Discuss possible alternatives like physical therapy, injections and pain management
Surgical Arrangements
- If you and your doctor have decided hip arthroscopy is the best possible treatment, our schedulers will arrange a convenient time for surgery.
- You will visit the medical center 24 hours before surgery to have an anesthesia visit. By talking to the anesthesiologist before surgery, you are prepared for surgery, and the doctor can ensure that the medicine given to you causes the fewest side effects, like nausea.
Day of Surgery
- You will arrive at least 3 hours before your surgery.
- Hip arthroscopy usually takes 2-4 hours.
- Most patients are sent home the same day. However, some patients stay overnight for observation, particularly those from out of town.
Surgery
During the procedure, your surgeon uses a light and camera to look through a dime size incision at your hip joint. Depending on your conditions and symptoms, your orthopaedic surgeon will:
- Repair torn cartilage
- Remove loose pieces of muscle, tendon or ligaments
- Reshape the bones
Recovery Process
- On the first day after surgery, we will begin the rehabilitation process. This includes getting out of bed and walking.
- We take pain management very seriously. Ninety percent of our patients no longer need narcotics after the first week post surgery.
- Our surgeons will prescribe a full physical therapy regimen.
- Most patients find they are back to full activities 12-16 weeks following hip arthroscopy.
- We will see you 2 times after the procedure: at 4 weeks and then again at 4 months post surgery.
