Traditionally, total hip replacement surgery was performed on the elderly, but these days, advancements in the procedure have patients opting for the surgery much earlier in life.
At 42-years-old, Bernadette Pletcher is one such patient. The mother of three recently underwent total hip replacement surgery for pain caused by arthritis and the total loss of cartilage of her left hip that had developed from an old injury. "Just six weeks after surgery I was able to begin a moderate exercise regime which I increased with each passing day," said Pletcher. "Not only was my mobility restored but I'm grateful to keep up with my family once more."
Coastal Orthopedics' John Ayres, MD is the surgeon who performed Pletcher's hip replacement surgery. "Hip replacement used to be considered a last resort, but advancements in the surgical technique and the prosthesis itself makes the procedure a more viable option for the young, allowing them to go back to the active lives to which they were accustomed."
Dr. Ayres and the surgical team at Coastal Orthopedics are seeing more and more young people come in to their practice with debilitating issues like rheumatoid arthritis and severe osteoporosis. Years ago physicians were reluctant to perform hip replacements on these patients due to the complexity of the surgery and the fact that eventual deterioration of the prosthesis would inevitably call for subsequent replacements.
Today, physicians are able to use minimally invasive techniques, which accounts for shorter recovery time. And the materials of today's prosthesis are not only more resilient, but they are designed so patients can achieve more natural movement and greater range of motion. Most importantly, for these young sufferers, replacement surgery can provide relief from chronic joint pain and loss of function that other treatments could not remedy.
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