Hip replacement surgery is still a major procedure. Like many other complex surgeries, the procedure is performed in high-volume hip replacement centers, standardized anesthesia and surgery protocols are used, and the patients report highest satisfaction rates. Minimally invasive hip replacement results in a substantial increase in the quality of life for the patients who, when surveyed, report that greater than 95% are happy with the results of their hip operation.
In wanting to share our own standardized pathways and protocols, let’s follow one patient on his journey in our hospital at NYSORA Europe, and European Hip Clinic at ZOL, Genk, Belgium.
For patient information, the modern hip replacement is made of a non-human, durable artificial material as a substitute for a worn or damaged hip joint. Replacement of worn or rough surfaces with a new, smooth artificial one, removes friction of the ball and socket joint and alleviates joint pain. With the diligent physiotherapy, normal function can be restored, granting a new lease of life to well over 95% of patients. Watch the full NYSORA video HERE.
Preparation and Support
As per protocol, our patients are pre-conditioned for the hip replacement surgery. They are assigned a hip coach who builds their confidence, provides guidance, and is the primary point of contact. In addition, patients receive real-time, relevant information at every stage of their preparation and recovery, using a HIP CLOUD app, designed to guide patients through every step of the hip replacement journey.
Bespoke Solutions
By taking into account the particular needs, condition, or age of the patient, they can be offered the surgical procedure best suited to their requirements. Fewer techniques, such as direct anterior hip replacement, which requires smaller surgical incisions and less damage to the muscle tissue, result in faster recovery, leading to outcomes which might even exceed patient expectations.
Improved material durability and design of hip prosthetics reduces the likelihood of the patient having to undergo the surgery again in later life.
Our Center of Excellence is frequented by international teams of surgeons and anesthesiologists who copy our protocols to take them back to their own institution. In this short video, we take you through a patient journey having total hip replacement surgery at NYSORA Europe and EUROPEAN HIP Clinic, in ZOL Hospital, Genk, Belgium.
We created a video to record the patient journey for both health care professionals and patients alike, and to demonstrate that the key differentiators in quality of the patient outcome in busy hip (and other joint) replacement centers are:
(1) Personalized and tailored care
(2) Hyper-specialized teams, including a patient coach
(3) Patient-centered trajectory for the best possible outcomes
(4) The ultimate GOAL: A dynamic life without restrictions and pain
And for any patients considering hip replacement surgery and looking for advice, here are 3 things I recommend as important to consider when choosing where to get the hip replaced:
1) Surgeons use minimally invasive surgical technique (such as the “direct anterior hip replacement”).
2) The surgeons in the center of choice hyper-specialize in HIP surgery.
3) The hospital or clinic where the surgery will be done is a HIGH VOLUME hip replacement center. In other words, they have lots of experience of performing the operation routinely. That way patients may be reassured that there is a high degree of standardization of procedures delivering consistently excellent outcomes.
Feel free to post a comment or ask a question in the comments section and we’ll do our best to answer. For instance, what do you do in your practice to keep improving the outcome of hip replacement surgery. And what protocols do YOU use for fastrack hips?