Contact us
To receive personalized attention
What is hip arthroscopy?
It is a minimally invasive surgery, which allows the lesions within the joint to be evaluated, and even treated, with just a few small cuts in the skin.
This treatment has a very low complication rate, less than 1% thanks to its minimally invasive procedure.
Hip arthroscopy is frequently used in young patients, who have cartilage in good condition that can be preserved, who perform physical activity, in order to correct alterations in the shape of the hip joint that cause damage to the joint
It should be noted that it used to be an open procedure but, thanks to scientific and technological advances, today it can be performed with incisions of less than two centimeters.
What does this surgery consist of?
It is a procedure where something called a traction table is used, which aims to make traction on the extremity where the hip joint to be treated is located to place the joint in the correct position that allows the introduction of instruments to examine and treat the joint.
A combined anesthesia is used, meaning epidural anesthesia and general anesthesia are applied to monitor the patient during surgery.
Subsequently, the entry points to the hip or arthroscopic portals are marked, these are duly analyzed by the orthopedic surgeon since they vary according to the anatomy of each patient. At this point, the safety area where work is going to be carried out and the portals where the surgical instruments can be introduced are evaluated.
At these points is where the incisions are made, approximately 1 cm long, to introduce the arthroscope, which is like a tiny camera that uses different types of lenses with which the joint and the surgical equipment that will be needed can be evaluated.
The most common is that the incisions are three, to observe the entire joint well and to apply the decided treatment.
The whole process takes an hour and a half and up to 2 hours approximately depending on the complexity of each case.
What should be done before surgery?
Two weeks before surgery the body must be prepared to undergo a surgical procedure, although it is a minimally invasive surgical process the patient must have stable blood clotting levels.
It is important to suspend any type of drugs and supplements that may be counterproductive for surgery, such as anticoagulants, anti-inflammatories, analgesics and even vitamin supplements within seven days.
This is notified to each patient, knowing their individual medical history, when the surgery is scheduled. It is also recommended to stop alcoholic beverages and cigarettes.
On the same day of surgery, a total fast of 12 hours is requested to prevent problems with anesthesia.
All of these recommendations should be considered before surgery in order to minimize risks and expect a quick and uncomplicated recovery.
What is the recovery time for a hip arthroscopy?
The recovery time is different for each patient, since it involves factors such as: the level of complexity of the injury, the different repairs that were performed by arthroscopy and the particular physical conditions of the individual (age, weight, medication, etc.). However, when my patients come to the clinic I offer them an estimated projection of how long the recovery time would be after their surgery.
What we must clarify is that after an arthroscopic hip operation, the patient will depend on the use of crutches for a few weeks, until little by little they support the weight on their leg, continue the suggested physiotherapy guidelines and can return to their daily activities.
What risks or complications can this procedure have?
One of the greatest fears in surgeries is the risks they bring, but for the peace of mind of many, hip arthroscopy is one of the most reliable medical procedures today, emerging as an effective alternative to traditional open surgery, generating fewer complications and providing much faster results.
Although the percentages of complications are very low, they are still present, for this reason we will mention some of them here:
- Internal damage to cartilage or ligaments.
- Hip infection.
- Stiffness or decreased mobility of the hip.
- Tingling or numbness from the hip to the groin area.
- Internal joint bleeding.
- Injury to a nerve or blood vessel during the procedure.
- Blood clots in the operated leg.
When is hip arthroscopy recommended?
Doctors can use arthroscopy with two objectives:
- As a method of reparation.
- Diagnostically (less frequent).
Below, we will define each of them…
Repair surgery
- To surgically remove debris of bones or cartilage that have been detached from an injury and cause pain within the hip joint.
- To correct hip impingement syndrome, having previously ruled out other treatment options.
- To repair internal tears between the joint, muscles, and iliac bone.
Diagnosis
- When the patient constantly suffers from pain that is not relieved by any previous treatment. In this case, we suspect that there may be an internal problem in the joint and we must submit the patient to arthroscopy to thoroughly analyze the damage.
- When signs of internal inflammation are noticed that do not diminish with the application of non-surgical treatments.
We must emphasize that arthroscopy does not solve problems related to hip arthritis.
Post-intervention care
- Slowly mobilize the joint when the doctor authorizes it.
- Do not flex the hip at an angle greater than 90°.
- Perform light position rotations every hour (sitting/stretching).
- Fully comply with the rehabilitation plan and the established exercises in the company of a professional in the area of physiotherapy.
Should physical activity be stopped before hip-sparing surgery?
The arthroscopy procedure is performed under prior planning, so the patient can maintain a normal rhythm of life as long as their hip allows it.
Dr. José Félix’s recommendation is to continue with a normal rhythm of life as long as it does not cause discomfort, if the discomfort persists or increases it is better to suspend the activity.
