New Delhi : Despite struggling with diseased joints and restricted motion, many people often feel intimidated by the idea of a joint replacement surgery because they believe it will have painful after-effects and will not be sustainable. This apprehension, however, is unfounded.

With the advent of minimally invasive joint replacement procedures, it is possible for doctors to conduct surgical intervention through just one or two small incisions. This not only makes the post operative time much less painful for patients but also ensures a faster rehabilitation as compared to traditional joint replacement surgery to replace a diseased or a damaged joint.

As compared to traditional joint replacement surgery, the minimally invasive approach ensures a better long-term stability of the joint because the muscles and tendons around the joint are not damaged during this surgery.

In a hip replacement surgery, a doctor removes the head of the thighbone and then places artificial implants to replace the faulty ball and socket of the hip that have been causing problems and restricting movement. The artificial implants will relieve the patient of the constant pain that he or she lives with and also improve mobility remarkably. You will be able to lead a much normal life, walk, climb stairs, stand up from a chair without much problem and have much better quality of life

“In a minimally invasive hip replacement procedure, a smaller incision 3-6 inches, as compared to 10 inches in the traditional method is made and special instruments are used to insert an artificial implant. This results in less damage to the muscle and tissue surrounding the area, lesser blood loss and a faster return to normal life. The most important advantage of this procedure is that the major muscles in the hip and thigh area that give support to the joint are not cut. This not only speeds up recovery but also reduces the risk of dislocation of the replaced joint as the muscles around it are strong and functioning” says Dr.Rajeev K Sharma,Orthopedic & Joint Replacement Surgeon,Indraprastha Apollo Hospita,New Delhi

Most patients are able to walk a day after the surgery and put their weight on the artificial implant. With the wound needing healing much smaller, they are able to start physiotherapy very soon after the procedure and the hospital stay is much shorter.

55-year-old Sanjoy (not his original name) developed arthritis of the joints at an early stage and required a hip replacement. However, he believed he was too young to go for a joint replacement and felt the surgery would be painful and his active lifestyle will be compromised.

However, a day after the surgery, he was on his feet. On the third day, he was walking around without any support. A few months after the minimally invasive procedure, he is leading a perfectly normal life. With the diseases hip joint replaced, his mobility restored and quality of life improved.

This procedure is particularly more suitable for younger patients who have more active lifestyles and need greater strength to their joints for a longer period of time. This may cut the need for a revision surgery. It is also good for patients in whom a major surgery can be risky.

Prolonged restricted movements, apart from deteriorating quality of life and productivity, may also lead to other health complications like obesity, diabetes and cardiac ailments. Hence, it is advisable to patients rendered increasingly immobile due to arthritis or other joint diseases to go for a joint replacement.

In the case of knee replacement too, new techniques for opening the knee have improved the quality if surgery in recent years. The latest techniques help protect the crucial tendons and muscles around the knee for better post operative recovery and long term stability of the artificial joint.

So, if a damaged or diseased joint is preventing you from leading a normal life, restricting you to home and cutting your mobility, do not hesitate from a joint replacement. The minimal approach is almost painless and faster