Moving forward with AMIS hip surgery Posted Monday, April 6, 2009 by larryK Walking around just four hours after a total hip replacement is no longer a futuristic dream.
The new "anterior approach" surgery was recently demonstrated to a distinguished group of visiting orthopaedic specialists for the first time at St Luke's Hospital, Elizabeth Bay. Dr Lawrence Kohan performed two operations for the demonstration.
"This is an exciting day," said Dr Kohan. "I have been performing the operation at St Luke's since January on selected patients. "We are expecting that this operation is going to change the way hip replacements are performed in Australia. "I have literally seen people get up and walk within four hours of surgery. That was not possible under the old method."
The new technique dramatically reduces the risk of the hip dislocating as there is no muscle damage.
Recovery time used to entail about five days in hospital and four weeks in rehabilitation. With the new technique that is reduced to a one night stay for appropriate patients, without necessarily the need for rehabilitation.
