By: Andrew Wassef, M.D., Medical Director, MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center, Long Beach Medical Center

People typically are offered a total hip replacement after damage to the hip joint by osteoarthritis (OA), a fracture or other conditions. With hip OA, the cartilage that cushions your joints wears away, causing friction, damage to the bones and inflammation. Pain and stiffness can result.

Initial treatment for hip pain involves conservative measures, including exercise, stretching, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), ice/heat or using an assistive device like a cane for walking.

If conservative treatments fail, your physician may refer you to an orthopedic surgeon who may recommend total hip replacement.

The MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center at Long Beach Medical Center offers Mako™ Total Hip for patients looking for more permanent solutions for chronic pain that affects their quality of life.

The MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center has a skilled and experienced orthopedic surgery team — combined they have completed thousands of joint replacement surgery cases. With eight of these surgeons trained and experienced in Mako Technology. Mako is the first robotic-assisted surgery of its kind, bringing a new level of precision to treating patients with hip pain. Mako Technology provides a 3D model of your unique anatomy to assist your surgeon in pre-planning and precise placement hip implants. The benefits of Mako Total Hip include:

  • More accurate placement and alignment of hip implants based on the surgical plan
  • Reduces the likelihood of hip dislocation
  • Reduces blood loss
  • Replicates the feeling of a natural hip
  • Preserves healthy hip bone
  • Accurate leg length
  • Less potential implant wear and loosening
  • Improved balance of soft-tissue
  • Reduces need for revision surgery

Mako Total Hip involves the removal of the arthritic ends of bone and damaged cartilage and replacing them with prosthetic implants designed to move like a healthy hip. During Mako Total Hip, a surgeon will remove the arthritic ball at the end of the femur (top of the thigh bone) and inserts a metal component (a stem) into the bone. An implant is then secured in the knee joint that will allow the knee to move smoothly again.

All implants have a limited life expectancy that depends on several factors, including a patient’s weight, activity level, quality of bone stock and compliance with doctor’s orders. However, alignment and positioning are also key factors affecting the life expectancy of an implant. The accurate alignment and positioning of the implant with Mako helps the implant last as long as possible.

It is a misconception that joint replacement surgery should be indicated as a last resort. Now more than ever, people that undergo joint replacement surgery are younger and more active. That’s because with recent technology, like Mako Total Hip, outcomes for patients are improved significantly allowing people to get back to the things they love most. For more information on Mako and the MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center visit memorialcare.org/LBJointReplacement.