Minimally Invasive Surgery of the Hip Versus Standard Approach

In minimally invasive surgery, the surgeon makes a shorter incision (about 10 cm or less) along the side of the thigh and replaces the hip through this smaller incision. The surgeon is able to do the surgery through a shorter incision by using special instruments which can guide him or her.

The standard way that an orthopaedic surgeon performs a hip replacement surgery is that they make a long incision (about 20 cm) down the side of the thigh and then replaces the hip joint through this long incision.