Medical Reports: Hip Help

WSVN -- There's nothing Gregg Gessler loves more than gearing up for a ride on his Harley.

But his hip pain got so bad he could barely move.

Gregg Gessler: "I couldn't work. I was taking three 30 mg morphine tablets at a time."

Gregg needed surgery right away, a total hip replacement.

Gregg Gessler: "I'm too young to be walking around the grocery store with a walker."

Orthopedic surgeon David Padden says severe hip pain like Gregg's can be debilitating.

Dr. David Padden: "Just putting on a shoe or tying your shoe is unable to be performed at this point because you're unable to turn your hip."

Now doctors at Holy Cross Hospital have new technology to help. It's called the mako-plasty hip procedure using a robotic arm. The surgeon can place the implant in a more accurate position.

Dr. David Padden: "The robot gives us the absolute degree of accuracy and precision that we've never had before."

A computer provides a 3D image of the patient's hip so the doctor can get the exact measurements for the implant before surgery.

Dr. David Padden: "I'm able to show where that point is exactly, so I know exactly where I want to make my cut."

Dr. Padden says there's no cutting of the muscles so the recovery is much faster. And there are fewer restrictions after surgery.

Dr. David Padden: "They're allowed to bend, cross their legs immediately after surgery."

And because the implant is a perfect fit, it should last much longer. That's good news to Gregg.

Gregg Gessler: "I'm 49 and I would like this to last the rest of my life if possible."

After the procedure, Gregg can move now without pain and is under doctor's orders to go back to doing what he loves

Gregg Gessler: "He says ride your bike, do what you do and just have fun."

Lynn Martinez: "Most standard hip replacements last about 15 years, with this new procedure doctors are hoping they will last up to 40 years."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

For more information on MAKOplasty Hip:
Tel: (866) 988-DOCS