Swedish Medical Center, One of First Hospitals in the Nation to Offer Innovative Hip Replacement Surgical Technique

Englewood, CO, February 23, 2020 --(PR.com)-- HCA Healthcare/HealthONE’s Swedish Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in the nation, and the first in Colorado, to perform an innovative new technique for total hip replacements.

The portal assisted total hip arthroplasty approach is a minimally invasive, anterior-based technique that utilizes a pen-like instrument called a cannula to prepare and replace the damaged hip socket.

Developed by a team of leading orthopedic surgeons across North America, the procedure is an improvement upon current anterior hip replacement approaches. The cannula allows the surgeon to use a smaller incision placed in an area of the hip that avoids a major nerve bundle, thereby greatly minimizing the chance of nerve injury. Nerve injury and numbness is an issue affecting up to 15 per cent of patients with traditional anterior hip replacement surgery.

The cannula also helps provide direct access to the hip joint and aids in positioning the cup within the hip socket - an essential factor in minimizing complications such as dislocation post-operatively.

The small “bikini” style incision is placed within the skin fold of the hip. This improves the scar’s cosmetic appearance and heals much faster than traditional larger incisions. Fast wound healing is a key component in minimizing the risk of infection and wound complications.

Joseph Assini, MD, orthopedic surgeon with OrthoONE at Swedish Medical Center, is one of the five developers of the technique and believes it offers numerous benefits to both the patient and the surgeon, “This new technique takes the positive aspects of the direct anterior approach and minimizes the downsides. We have a smaller, less invasive approach to the hip joint. The wounds heal very quickly and with minimal scarring. Essentially, it makes the more technical parts of direct anterior easier for the surgeon, which translates into a smoother recovery for patients.”

For more information on the innovative anterior percutaneously assisted total hip procedure offered at Swedish Medical Center, or to schedule an appointment, contact David Funk, DPT, orthopedic program manager, 303.788.6682, or visit OrthoONE.com.

About Swedish Medical Center
Swedish Medical Center, part of HCA Healthcare’s HealthONE, is located in the south metro Denver area where it has been a proud member of the community for more than 110 years. An acute care hospital with 408 licensed beds, annually Swedish cares for more than 200,000 patients with a team of approximately 2,000 dedicated colleagues, 300 volunteers and 1,400 physicians. Swedish serves as the Rocky Mountain Region’s referral center for the most advanced stroke treatment, and was the state’s first Joint Commission certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. Swedish also serves as the region’s neurotrauma and orthopedic trauma provider and is the south metro Denver area’s only level I trauma facility with a dedicated burn and reconstructive center. More about the advanced technologies and treatments offered at Swedish Medical Center can be found at SwedishHospital.com.