Distinctly Montana Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.distinctlymontana.com/i/1431497
w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 41 It can happen with a sports injury or car crash. The blood supply network to the hip is rather fragile for all it does. As recently as 15 years ago, joint replacement was almost exclusively reserved for older patients due to the relatively short lifespan of some of the prosthetic materials. With improvements in the longevity of those materials, we are seeing hip and knee replacements lasting much longer and age has become less of an issue. This allows us to help many younger patients with early arthritis secondary to previous trauma or other medical conditions. How has joint replacement changed? Twenty years ago, joint replacement meant two weeks in the hospital on heavy anticoagulants and pain control. Now you go home the same day or the next day, you're up walking immediately, and you're taking aspirin to prevent blood clots. We're seeing great outcomes with less invasive ways of doing replacements. A hip is not a hip is not a hip. We've learned about how variable patients' anatomic and functional needs are, and modern implants allow us more flexibility to tailor a hip or knee prosthesis. With improvements in design and the use of computer navigation and robotic technology, we're getting closer to a truly patient-specific hip or knee replacement. Is surgery always the best option? The short answer is no. There are many effective non-operative treatments for hip and knee arthritis that we will exhaust before performing a hip or knee replacement. Non-operative treatment can also help delay or avoid a revision. Sometimes another surgery performed by a different specialist may prevent the need for a joint replacement. For example, some younger patients with altered hip anatomy may respond well to an arthroscopic procedure that can delay the onset of hip arthritis. A tradition of advanced care. Learn more at Benefis.org School bus driver Doug Miller was Dr. Jace Bullard's first patient at Benefis. He called Dr. Bullard a "miracle worker" after his hip replacement helped take his pain away. He's happy to be back behind the wheel and even more so to be golfing again.