[The minimally invasive anterior approach to hip arthroplasty]

A modified anterior approach to the hip developed by the senior author has been utilized in performing over 7000 hip replacement operations at this joint replacement center in the past three decades. It can be readily applied to both primary and revision surgery, and involves muscle splitting and sparing of the major hip muscles, innervation, and function. Since the late 1970s, Yale orthopaedic residents have been taught this minimally invasive anterior approach using one, two, or three mini-incisions without fluoroscopy, special operating room tables, or special retractors. The authors' overall experience has documented a very low incidence of dislocation and minimal perioperative complications. While a smaller skin incision is desirable by patients for cosmetic reasons and decreased healing time, what goes on beneath the skin is far more important. A well-placed total hip replacement should never be compromised. While many of these patients can ambulate the same or first postoperative day quite well, the authors do not advocate outpatient total hip arthroplasty as some proponents have. Bone is still cut, tissues bleed, clots can form, and the traditional complications of arthroplasty, while reduced, can still occur.