Hip Resurfacing to Restore ...

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MADISON - Among baby boomers and active younger patients, interest in Hip Resurfacing surgery, a bone-sparing procedure available for the last year at UW Hospital and Clinics, continues to soar.

It's easy to understand why. Patients with resurfaced hips are enjoying increased range of motion and decreased dislocation, making it possible for them to return to a fully active lifestyle.

Unlike traditional Total Hip Replacement, a procedure in which surgeons cut the neck of the femur and remove the femoral head, resurfacing a hip involves removing the cartilage at the end of the femur, placing a metal cap over the top, and repositioning it in a metal socket. For patients in their 30s and 40s, resurfacing provides the important benefit of preserving bone in the event a future hip revision surgery is needed.

At UW Health, three fellowship-trained surgeons - Dr. John Heiner, Dr. Richard Illgen and Dr. Matthew Squire - perform the procedure. The surgeons caution that hip resurfacing isn't for everybody.

Younger patients with good bone quality are the best candidates for the procedure; patients with poor bone quality or kidney problems are not. Women are also less likely to be candidates for hip resurfacing if they're planning to have children or suffer from dysplasia.

In countries like Australia, where hip resurfacing has been the standard of care for several years, approximately 15 percent of patients needing a hip surgery to manage severe arthritis qualified as good candidates for hip resurfacing. Even though interest in hip resurfacing is high, the surgeons expect those numbers to be similar for U.S. patients.

    "To get good outcomes, it's important to have experienced surgeons and physical therapists to help patients navigate the recovery process and return to an active lifestyle," says Dr. Illgen. "That is one of our strengths."

Four different state-of-the-art rehabilitation facilities in the Madison area make a huge difference in recovery for patients, as does an aggressive, sensible post-rehabilitation protocol that focuses on a team-based approach involving both doctors and physical therapists.

"The way we're approaching this is radically different than when we were doing total hip replacements a few years ago," notes Dr. Illgen. "Then, we weren't talking about patients asking, 'Can I go back to playing tennis and biking?' Now we are, and we couldn't be happier about it."

As the word about hip resurfacing continues to spread, orthopedic surgeons at UW Health are already looking at the next evolution of the surgery: computer-assisted hip resurfacing.

"We already have the technology on hand here in the hospital," says Dr. Squire. "It makes sense for us to explore that."
For more information about Hip Resurfacing at UW Hospital and Clinics, call (608) 263-4069