If you've lost your mobility and your ability to be active because of knee or hip arthritis, you may be considering joint replacement surgery.  A joint replacement may be the right choice for you if non-surgical treatments no longer provide relief.

 

Total joint replacement for painful arthritis of the knee and hip is one of the most successful surgeries of the last century. Both have become common and reliable procedures, with more than 500,000 knee and hip replacements performed in the U.S. each year.  Total joint replacements have transformed the lives of millions of Americans by providing them the opportunity to once again be active without pain.

Knee and Hip Replacements 

Artificial joints and surgical techniques have evolved significantly in the past 40 years. The first modern Total Hip Arthroplasty was invented by Sir John Charnley in 1961, and within a decade had revolutionized the treatment of hip arthritis.  Total Knee Arthroplasty was introduced in the 1960's and has undergone an evolution of instruments, implants and techniques.  In the past decade Total Knee Replacement has become both reliable and predictable, and is now one of the most frequent surgeries performed by orthopedic surgeons.

 

There's still room for improvement, though.  Rehabilitation after traditional surgery can be lengthy and painful, and people sometimes postpone knee or hip replacement, not wanting to be away from work and everyday activities for months.

 

The evolution of knee and hip replacement techniques has not ceased.  In the past 5 years new patient-friendly surgical techniques and instruments have emerged for both knee and hip replacements. Using what's known as 'Minimally Invasive Surgery' for qualifying patients, we are now able to perform joint replacements with less pain and more rapid recovery.

What is Minimally Invasive Surgery? 

Minimally Invasive Surgery (or MIS), used in the context of orthopedic surgery, refers to techniques for reconstructing arthritic joints with very little disruption to the surrounding muscles and ligaments.  The same well-tested and time-proven artificial joint components are placed, but through much smaller incisions than traditional.

However, an MIS procedure is not simply traditional surgery with a smaller incision.  An MIS surgeon uses different instruments created specifically for MIS surgeries, and uses different surgical techniques to avoid or minimize cutting or disruption to the adjacent muscles and surrounding tissues.  Compared to traditional joint replacement surgeries, MIS results in less post-operative pain, less blood loss during surgery, shorter hospital stays, potentially less cost, quicker rehabilitation, less weakness, and a more cosmetic scar.

Minimally Invasive Knee Surgeries

In the case of arthritic knees, MIS involves a quadriceps muscle-sparing procedure to replace all the worn surfaces of a knee joint through a small movable window of an incision.  If only one portion of the knee joint is arthritic, a partial replacement, or unicompartmental replacement can be performed without any damage to the surrounding quadriceps muscle.

Click here for more information on MIS Knee surgeries.

Minimally Invasive Hip Surgeries

In the case of arthritic hips, MIS involves using one of three approaches to enter the hip joint and replace the worn surfaces with new ones. The Minimally Invasive technique causes less damage to the surrounding ligaments and muscles, and leads to less pain and faster rehabilitation.

Click here for more information on MIS Hip surgeries.

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Central Coast Minimally Invasive Surgery

Dedicated to providing the best possible outcome for knee and hip patients, CCMIS utilizes Minimally Invasive Knee and Hip replacements for qualifying patients. 

This is a program collaboration between  Dr. Dan Woods, MD, FAAOS, and French Hospital Medical Center of San Luis Obispo, California. 

CCMIS is located in San Luis Obispo on the beautiful California Central Coast. This is a popular vacation resort area surrounded by majestic mountains and sitting midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.