What is hip arthroscopy?

Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical treatment for problems in your hip. Your surgeon will make a few small cuts (incisions) in your hip skin and then insert a special surgical tool, known as an arthroscope, into your hip joint. The arthroscope consists of a camera and a light that will enable your surgeon to determine and repair damage to any structure inside your hip. They also put in any other little repair tools they'll require to fix the damage to your bones or connective tissues.

The incisions for hip arthroscopy are much smaller than in other surgical procedures, so this is less stressful for your body than many other surgeries. After the operation, you will see a physical therapist to improve strength and range of motion in your joints. For most patients, recovery from hip arthroscopy can be measured in months.

Who Should Undergo Hip Arthroscopy?

Anyone with hip pain not responsive to other treatments can be considered for hip arthroscopy. Hip arthroscopy might also help those with difficulty moving properly arising from a certain problem inside their hip joint. Normally, your doctor will only recommend that you have the arthroscopy if they have already established what's causing your pain and other non-surgical treatments like steroid injections or physical therapy haven't become entirely effective.

What is the difference between Hip arthroscopy and total hip replacement?

Hip arthroscopy is much less invasive than a total hip replacement or arthroplasty. For most patients, an arthroscopy will correct the problems creating pain or mobility problems in their hips. If arthroscopy isn't effective and your symptoms are serious enough, the provider may want to talk to you about a hip replacement. Most people with very extensive cartilage damage or end-stage arthritis require total hip replacements.

What conditions is hip arthroscopy used to treat?

Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive, successful procedure that can handle a variety of conditions.

The most common hip arthroscopy procedures include:

Femoroacetabular impingement: FAI, or hip impingement, is a malformity of the hip joint that causes the interaction between two bones of your hip. It puts pressure from rubbing between the upper portion of your femur, or thighbone, and the acetabulum, which is the hip socket. FAI may limit your range of motion and cause pain in your hip.
Labral tears are tears in the labrum—the soft tissue surrounding your hip's acetabulum or socket. A tear can arise from trauma, structural conditions, or degenerative conditions.
Removing bone or cartilage debris: In cases where parts of your hip's bones or cartilage have been damaged, or loose pieces are irritated within your joint, they can be surgically removed.
Dysplasia: This is hip dysplasia. It simply means your femur does not fit together correctly with the pelvis.
Tendon tears: Tendons connect your muscles to bones. The orthopedic surgeon can reattach the tendons that have been torn from the bones in your hip when they were injured.
Tendon releases: Contractures are when tendons are over-tight. In arthroscopy, contractures may be released or moved.

How common is hip arthroscopy?

Hip arthroscopy is a procedure that is fast becoming quite common. Currently, surgeons can manage far more conditions than they would have been able to manage five or 10 years ago.

For decades, arthroscopy has been used to correct problems that lie in the shoulders, knees, and ankles of people and is rapidly becoming more commonplace in addressing problems within the hips. Continuous improvements in technology and surgical techniques have allowed almost anyone to use hip arthroscopy. Indeed, according to some estimation, the number of hip arthroscopies performed in the United States increased by more than 600% during the last 15 years.

What to Expect Before Hip Arthroscopy?

Preoperatively, your hip arthroscopy may require you to stop all the following: ensure you inform your provider and surgeon of everything you are taking, including all nonprescription drugs or herbal supplements. Do this because if you are on drugs meant to prevent blood clots, your surgeon should advise you on which drugs to stop or give you instructions on changing your daily routine.

Quit smoking: If you smoke or use other kinds of tobacco products, you must quit. In addition to the daily health risks, smoking makes it difficult for your body to heal after surgery.

Drink less alcohol: Alcohol thins your blood, which could be a danger in your bloodstream before and after surgery.

Fast: Your doctor will tell you whether you need to avoid eating and drinking anything in the period before your hip arthroscopy. You may need to make some arrangements that you would not eat or drink anything except for water up to 12 hours before surgery.

What happens during hip arthroscopy?

During a hip arthroscopy, your surgeon will make some small cuts (about the size of a buttonhole) on the skin of your hip to insert the arthroscope and any additional tools that might be needed to repair damage to the bones or connective tissues in your hip.

You will receive either regional anesthesia, which is typically given around your hip so you will not feel anything when the surgeon operates, or general anesthesia, which will make you sleep through the whole procedure.

Arthroscopies usually take around 90 minutes. The length of time that your operation will take depends on your case.

What happens after surgery - post-operatively following hip arthroscopy?

Hip arthroscopy is largely an outpatient procedure. Hence, you must be leaving the hospital on the same day. One does need a hip brace for three weeks after the surgery. A person requires using crutches for some time, and one cannot put any weight on your hip for at least a week.

Your doctor or surgeon will work with you to make an individualized plan for your recovery and describe the result of your surgery.

You will likely need to:

Do not bear weight or apply any pressure to your hip-even in bed.
Use ice and elevate
Care for the incision site.
Apply gentle cleaning and cover the incision.
Take NSAIDs as directed to manage pain post-surgery.
Take showers, not baths, until the incision is closed.

What are the potential benefits of arthroscopic hip surgery?

Hip arthroscopy is far less invasive than other surgical techniques. Your surgeon may only require a few small incisions to repair your hip's underlying problem(s). This means that you should look forward to this:

A quicker recovery time.
Less pain after your surgery.
Minimum blood loss and scarring.
A decreased chance of problems in comparison to more intrusive surgical methods.

What are the side effects come with hip arthroscopy?

Possible complications associated with hip arthroscopy are:

An allergic reaction to the anesthetic.
Blood clots or deep vein thrombosis
Damage to nerves or tissues along the joint
Excessive bleeding or swelling.
Numbness (tingling) in your groin, thigh, or foot.
You may need more surgery if your conditions persist.

How long does it take to recover from hip arthroscopy?

Generally, it takes about six weeks to recover from a hip arthroscopy. The actual time it takes you to get fully well depend on the reasons you underwent the surgery.

You will have some crutches for about a week or two after your surgery, after which you should start getting around and putting more of your weight on your hip.

You will also need to have physical therapy. The treatment could be from a few weeks up until a few months post-operatively. You can return to heavy exercise and/or sports around 12 weeks after surgery.

Discuss a specific recovery timeline with your surgeon or doctor.

After undergoing hip arthroscopy, how long will I be out of work or school?

If your work or school activity involves sitting at a desk or in an office, you will be ready to return in a week or two. Ensure your provider or surgeon knows before returning to work or school and resuming any activities that could stress the hip.

When to Call Doctor?

Call your provider right away if you have any of the following:

Pain or bleeding that is severe at the site where you had the incision
I am feeling nauseous, and I vomit.
I have a sign of infection at the incision site, such as fever or discoloration of the skin.