Through the keyhole: An examination of minimally invasive hip surgery

Lucas, Brian

doi:10.1016/j.joon.2006.01.003

« Previous Next »Journal of Orthopaedic Nursing
Volume 10, Issue 1 , Pages 38-48, February 2006

Through the keyhole: An examination of minimally invasive hip surgery

Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust, Whipps Cross Road, London E11 1NR, UK

Editor’s CommentOne of the key issues in this article relates to previous assumptions that minimally invasive surgery was the prime reason for early discharge, see also O’Brien et al’s article (2005 Vol.9 No. 3 140-145). It would appear that interventions other than reducing the size of the wound play a more important part in improving patient outcomes that lead to early discharge. Many of these positive interventions are dependent on nursing care.

Summary

Minimally invasive hip (MIH) surgery involves the insertion of total hip replacement (THR) prostheses via 1 or 2-incisions each less than 10cm, compared with a traditional incision of 20–30cm. The orthopaedic community, lay press and many patients are currently excited by such an approach as it is seen as a way of promoting faster recovery from surgery. However, when compared with traditional incision THR surgery there are as yet a lack of large-scale long-term robust clinical trials on MIH surgery. The impact on orthopaedic nursing of this new surgical approach may be felt along the whole patient pathway including patient education, post-operative recovery and long term follow-up after surgery. The article examines some of the publicity surrounding this new procedure, the different types of MIH surgery, and the possible implications for orthopaedic nursing.