Hip Replacement and Resurfacing
If you have arthritic, damaged hip bones, but have good general bone strength, the hip can be reshaped and resurfaced without being replaced. Hip resurfacing is an excellent option for young, active people with hip degeneration. Read more about hip resurfacing.
At UC San Diego Health System, our joint replacement surgeons have extensive experience and expertise in total hip replacement. In addition, our fellowship-trained team is frequently called on to perform revision surgery following replacement at other medical centers.
We use the approach that will give the best result for each patient.
Each of the hip replacement approaches offered at UC San Diego Health System provide benefits including:
- Faster recovery
- Less pain
- Greater stability – full movement and flexibility after surgery
- Reduced risk of dislocation
when compared to traditional hip replacement techniques
Mini-anterior approach: the incision is made in the front of the hip, enabling the surgeon to reach the joint by separating the muscles rather than cutting them. We perform more anterior hip replacements than any medical center in the region. Read more about anterior approach hip replacement.
Mini-posterior approach: the surgical incision is made at the back of the hip and allows for direct, minimally invasive access to the hip joint and thigh bone (femur).
Anterolateral approach: the surgical incision is made on the side of the hip. This approach is highly popular in Canada and Europe, and has the added benefit of being easily revised without additional risk of dislocation.
A San Diego surgical team, led by Anna Kulidjian, MD, performed 24 hip replacements for people without access in mountainous region of Armenia and trained local surgeons.
"I have been racing triathlons for 25 years and in 2008 I started to have a lot of left hip pain. After seeing many doctors I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis." Read about Roch Frey's experience with hip surfacing and replacement.