DECATUR — Decatur Memorial Hospital has a new surgical table, called the hana table, for use in minimally invasive hip replacement surgery and trauma procedures that enables the orthopaedic surgeon to replace the hip through a single anterior incision without cutting or detachment of muscle.
The merits of the anterior hip replacement approach using the hana table are several: 1) less muscle trauma for the patient; 2) reduced hospital stay; 3) smaller incision — four to five inches as opposed to 10 to 12 inches; 4) faster recovery — two to eight weeks as opposed to two to four months; and, 5) additional benefits include reduced pain, reduced tissue healing required, reduced risk of dislocation, and hopefully a more rapid return to normal activities.
With its unique capability to position the leg, the hana table allows hyperextension, adduction and external rotation of the hip for femoral component placement — a positioning option not possible with conventional surgical tables.
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Orthopaedic Surgeon Edmund Raycraft, M.D., was the first to use the new hana table at DMH on June 27, when he performed a minimally invasive anterior hip replacement procedure. DMH is the first hospital in Decatur to use the hana table.
“The hana table allows me to apply traction to the hip joint and expose the bone surfaces without cutting any muscles,” Dr. Raycraft said. “It means the patient recovers faster and hopefully gets back to their normal routine quicker.”
The anterior approach allows the surgeon to reach the hip joint from the front of the hip as opposed to the lateral (side), or the posterior (back) approach. Using this approach, the hip can be replaced without detachment of muscle from the pelvis or femur during surgery. The orthopaedic surgeon can simply work through the natural interval between the muscles. The gluteal muscles that attach to the pelvis and femur are the most important muscles for hip function and are left undisturbed and therefore do not require a healing process.
Conventional hip replacement surgery typically requires strict precautions for the patient. Most patients must limit hip motion for six to 12 weeks after surgery. They must also limit flexing of the hip to no more than 60 to 90 degrees which complicates normal activities such as sitting in a chair, on a toilet seat, putting on shoes or getting into a car. Simply climbing stairs may also be more difficult during recovery.
However, using the anterior supine approach for hip replacement surgery provides immediate stability of the hip after surgery.
The hana table was developed and is manufactured by Mizuho OSI of Union City, Calif.
