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While arthroscopy dates back to the 19th century, it wasn’t until the 1970s that this minimally invasive surgical technique became a game-changer, revolutionizing the way we approach orthopaedic surgery. Today, we routinely turn to arthroscopy to treat a wide range of orthopaedic issues, including those in your hip.
At Western Orthopaedics, Dr. Brian White specializes in arthroscopic hip surgery and has helped scores of patients regain pain-free movement without the need for open surgery.
Here, we explore the many uses of arthroscopy when it comes to the health of your hips.
Before the introduction of modern arthroscopy, orthopaedists had to resort to open surgery to gain visual and manual access to your damaged tissues. This approach often caused significant collateral damage to surrounding tissues and raised your risks for infection.
With arthroscopy, we can fully visualize the inner structures of your hip joints thanks to a small, lighted camera (arthroscope), which we thread through a very small incision. This camera delivers high definition, real-time images of your hip joint which we view on a monitor.
Taking this technological advancement one step further, we use specialized instruments, which we thread through similarly small incisions, to perform the necessary repairs. Using the monitor, we guide the instruments, and they translate the movements of our hands in very small spaces.
As a result of arthroscopy, we can:
Ultimately, with arthroscopy, we can restore function in your hip with the least amount of disruption.
Dr. White is an expert in hip arthroscopy and uses this technique for a number of hip issues, including:
Dr. White also turns to hip arthroscopy to remove loose bodies (such as bits of bone or cartilage) inside your joint that may be causing you pain and interfering with your hip’s function.
Dr. White believes in hip preservation. Thanks to arthroscopy, he’s often able to repair the damage in your hips and restore function, helping you to avoid or delay hip replacement surgery.
If you’re going to have hip arthroscopy with Dr. White, another advantage we neglected to mention is that we can often perform this procedure on an outpatient basis, which means you’re free to return home the same day.
We supply you with complete aftercare instructions that guide you on incision care, and we check your progress regularly to let you know when you can begin to resume normal activities.
We may also recommend some physical therapy, which will help you regain your strength and recover more quickly.
It’s difficult to say here what your postoperative timeline may look like, as it depends upon the extent and location of the work we perform. What we can say is that hip arthroscopy has greatly reduced recovery times.
If you’d like to learn more about the many benefits of hip arthroscopy, please contact one of our offices in Denver or Arvada, Colorado, to set up a consultation with Dr. White.
