Minimal access joint surgery has been refined for decades in the form of “arthroscopic” surgery. This concept of preserving pristine surrounding soft tissue has been extended in recent years to operations (such as hip and knee replacement), which have historically been done through large incisions.
There are also other bone preserving alternatives to “total” hip and knee replacement such as femoral head resurfacing hemiarthroplasty of the hip and unicompartmental arthroplasty of the knee which have been used effectively for certain groups of patients.
These improvements in management of soft tissue have lead to marked decreases in patient length of stay in the hospital. Some minimally invasive procedures are being done as ambulatory surgery so the patient can recuperate faster and easier…where they prefer to be…in the comfort of their own home.
Minimal access joint surgery has been refined for decades in the form of “arthroscopic” surgery. This concept of preserving pristine surrounding soft tissue has been extended in recent years to operations (such as hip and knee replacement), which have historically been done through large incisions.