What is Total Hip Replacement?
A total hip replacement surgery involves replacing the damaged surfaces of the articulating bones with artificial implants. Most of these implants wear with use. Thus, the risk of need for revision surgery is high in young and active people if the implant must last the lifetime of the patient. The life of the implant can be extended by precise alignment of the implant and this can be achieved using computer navigation for total joint replacement surgery.
Indications for Total Hip Replacement
A total hip replacement surgery is the last resort to relieve pain and restore function in the hip damaged by arthritis or an injury when non-surgical treatments do not relieve the condition.
Computer Navigation for Total Hip Replacement
Computer-navigation provides your surgeon with real time 3-D images of your mapped knee and the surgical instruments during surgery. The data for the images is provided by the infrared sensors fixed to the bones of the hip or knee and the surgical instruments. Their position is tracked by an infrared camera placed above the surgical table connected to the computer. The computer than generates the real-time images with the help of the appropriate software to guide the surgeon to precisely resurface and cut the bones of the hip or knee and fix the implant precisely and accurately according to the pre-operative surgical plan.
Thus, the surgery is done by the surgeon only. Computer navigation is just a tool to guide the surgeon and improve the outcome of the surgery. It cannot replace the skills of an experienced surgeon.