Matta, Hip Resurfacing and Anterior Approach

[Guest guest]

Hi.....I had my right hip resurfaced about a year and a half ago by Dr.

Harlan Amstutz in LA. I was 61 years old and a dancer all of my life.

Hip resurfacing is a bone conserving method that is offered as an

alternative to a total hip replacement. Both are good surgeries. I

chose the resurface since the femoral head is spared and not cut off.

If it

did not work out, i could always have had a THR. Dr. Matta operates

out of St. s Hospital in LA. He does ONLY annterior approach in a

total hip replacement surgery and he is excellent.....has a huge

reputation and has added a young man to his staff name Dr. Yun.

Dr. Yun does hip resurfaces. He is inexperienced but has major

credentiaals and will be a great doc someday....He does both

appporaches when doing a hip resurface but for now, since he is new on

the learning

curve for this type of surgery, he does posterior or posteriorlateral

surgery for the resurface. it can be done anteriorly and i am assured

he will soon do it this way as well. As for Matta....the profix

table and his instrumentation has been out for awhile and so has his

anterior approach...It is not new. As to the hip resurfacing ....it is

for anyone ....there is not an age distinction....surgeons do not want

to do it on an older person because the recovery and rehab is a little

harder and also there is always a chance of fractureing the femoral

head if the older person has low bone density....Both procedures are

out there for you to read about and educate yourself and choose which

you feel is the best for you and the doc that you are the most

comfortable with....Good luck.....