Hip Arthroscopy in Kansas City

Hip Arthroscopy


Comprehensive solutions to hip pain and instability.

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Understanding the Basics Behind Hip Arthroscopy


What is Hip Arthroscopy?

Suffering from hip pain is a problem for countless people, and it’s a strain on everyday life.

Hip issues affect a variety of individuals—from athletes, to those who simply live an active lifestyle—and non-surgical treatments might not be right for everyone. If you can no longer participate in the activities you love, it might be time to talk to an orthopedic specialist about a hip arthroscopy in Kansas City.

The highly trained orthopedic hip physicians at Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance have the expertise to treat hip issues surgically and non-surgically. When you visit a specialist at KCOA, we focus on creating a treatment plan based on your specific conditions, symptoms, and recovery goals.

Common symptoms that may require a hip arthroscopy include:

  • Pain in your groin while sitting or walking
  • Hip pain or tightness with physical activity/sports
  • Pain along the side of your thigh and/or buttocks
  • Inability to stand up normally
  • Swelling in your hip or groin
  • Difficulty laying on or sleeping on your hip

Choosing hip arthroscopy in Kansas City is a decision that typically involves guidance from your primary care doctor and orthopedic physician.

When you choose Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance, one of our highly trained orthopedic hip specialists will conduct an initial evaluation to better understand your condition. After a complete review of your results, your provider will then discuss the best treatment option for your specific hip condition.

Your First Appointment

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance hip Injuries Assessment


Assessing the Injury

Finding the right hip treatment in Kansas City starts with an assessment.

You can think of hip pain as a spectrum, with some instances being more severe than others. The KCOA orthopedic specialists always focus on each individual patient and their concerns before creating a treatment plan.

Therefore, during your initial appointment, we will often ask questions such as:

From there, we can decide which treatment option aligns best with your needs and lifestyle goals. After a proper assessment, we often begin with a physical examination to help determine the origin point of your pain. In some cases, advanced testing may be required for a full diagnosis.

  • Does your pain currently limit you or your activities?
  • Has your pain progressed or worsened recently?
  • Have you experienced any locking in your hip or an inability to stand or walk normally?
  • Have you noticed any change in your symptoms that has made it more challenging to function?
  • What are your lifestyle goals?
  • How has pain affected those goals?

Examination

X-Ray

Also called radiographs, an X-ray captures a picture of the hip. Orthopedic physicians may order an X-ray to rule out the possibility of a fracture (broken bone), osteoarthritis, or other hip-related conditions.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

MRI captures images of muscles, bones, intervertebral discs, and tendons to help provide information other tests can’t detail. During an MRI, you will lie on a table that slides into a tube-shaped scanner. The machine creates a magnetic field around you, using pulsed radio waves to form the MRI images.

 

 

Diagnostic Injection

A physician inserts a needle in the hip and injects medicine into the joint. In most cases, the provider uses a real-time X-ray (fluoroscopy) or ultrasound to see where to place the needle in the joint. If the shot does not relieve pain within a few days, then the hip joint may not be the source of hip pain.

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Establishing a Care Plan

Based on the results of your interview, examination, and imaging studies, our experts develop a custom care plan catered specifically to you.

Many people believe it’s best to wait until pain becomes severe, leading them to “put off” or delay treatments.

If you are in constant discomfort, have shooting or stabbing pains, have limited range of motion, or an inability to perform your daily activities, hip arthroscopy may be right for you.

New technologies allow patients with hip pain to fully recover and enjoy the benefits of a more functional, pain-free lifestyle.

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Pre-Op

Prior to surgery, you will typically receive at least 2 phone calls:

  • A hospital registration representative will call to gather insurance and other personal information.
  • A registered nurse will call to review your health history and medication information.

 

Dependent on your health history, your physician may require:

  • Pre-surgical laboratory tests
  • X-rays
  • Primary care clearance

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Pre-Op

Pre-operative instructions will vary depending on your physician and the location of your surgery.

Always check with your physician prior to surgery.

Most physicians require that patients not eat or drink after midnight prior to surgery the next day.

Additionally, you will need a designated family member or friend to drive you home on the day you are released from the hospital. Surgical patients cannot drive themselves home.

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Day of Surgery

If you schedule your surgery with a KCOA physician, you can expect the following on surgery day: 

  • A receptionist will check you in at the hospital registration desk.
  • A nurse will take you back and prepare you for surgery. They will start an IV, prepare the surgical site, and review your medical history and medications.
  • Your surgeon and anesthesiologist will visit with you prior to your operation.
  • The surgical team will take you to the operation suite for surgery.

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How it Works

A hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows surgeons to see inside the joint. A small tube with a camera is inserted through a minor incision, allowing the surgeon to make a more definitive diagnosis, and eliminating the need for a large surgical incision.

Hip arthroscopy can be used in 2 ways: to diagnose issues that aren’t visible on imaging studies and to allow KCOA physicians access to repair orthopedic issues without large, open incisions.

Hip arthroscopies require general anesthesia, but most procedures are performed as outpatient surgery. Once you’re asleep, your surgeon creates space between the ball and socket of your hip joint to allow the camera room. From there, your surgeon will create 2 or 3 small incisions. One incision is dedicated for the camera (arthroscope), and the other is used to place the various instruments to repair the labrum and joint.

The arthroscope allows your surgeon to view the joint and pinpoint problem areas. A saline-based fluid flows through the arthroscope to keep the image clear and bleeding minimal.

After assessing the hip problem, your surgeon can begin any repairs needed. Depending on your condition, your surgeon can perform a variety of procedures during the arthroscopy, including reshaping the acetabular socket, reshaping the femoral head, repairing the labrum, smoothing out the surrounding cartilage, or removing any inflamed tissue.

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Post-Op & What to Expect

After your surgery, you will remain in the recovery room before being discharged. Our experienced clinical team will monitor you during this recovery and provide pain relief medication, if needed.

You may need crutches or another assistive device for the first couple of weeks after surgery to aid in mobility and to ensure you’re not putting too much stress on the repaired joint.

Your physician may refer you to a physical therapist to begin rehabilitation shortly after surgery. It’s crucial to follow through with physical therapy to rebuild strength and regain range of motion.

It’s important you monitor your incision sites to ensure they are kept clean, dry and free from infection. You will be sore and the area may be bruised and swollen—that’s to be expected. Pay attention to your body and be sure to report any concerns to your care team.

Our Process

Causes

Causes of Hip Pain

First, it is important to understand the anatomy of a hip joint.

There are different types of joints in the body; the hip is a “ball-in-socket” joint. Just as the name suggests, a ball-in-socket joint consists of a ball-like structure that moves inside a depression in the bone to allow for rotational movements. In the hip, the ball-shaped head of your thigh bone (femur) that fits into the hip socket (acetabular socket) creates the joint.

Around the hip socket is a ring-shaped ligament called the labrum. This ligament has 3 main functions: Sealing the femoral head to keep fluids within the joint, helping stabilize the hip joint, and protecting the surrounding cartilage.

Treatment Alternatives

Non-Surgical Options

Oftentimes, patients choose hip arthroscopy or other surgical treatments after failing to see results from more conservative treatments. Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance physicians prefer non-surgical measures in most cases, and we usually only suggest surgical options after exhausting multiple less-invasive treatments. Non-surgical treatments for shoulder injuries include:

Physical Therapy

Seeking out guidance from a trained therapist to help restore function and strength is often a preferred treatment. Therapists are experts in the musculoskeletal system and their ability to assist with manual techniques or exercise instruction can lead to excellent outcomes.

Medications

At times, the pain becomes too much and hinders movement. In those instances, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Advil) or prescription medications. Especially with NSAIDs, you should always talk to your doctor to ensure they are the right treatment for you. Side effects can include stomach irritation, ulcers, or even kidney damage. Reasonable dosing and monitoring can help alleviate those side effects.

Injections

Cortisone injections can help with inflammation, and the effects tend to last for 3 to 6 months before you might need another one. Many people manage their pain with injections and exercise.

Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicines like stem cell injections or platelet-rich plasma can help nourish worn or damaged tissue. This option works best if you have mild-to-moderate hip pain.

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance is here to help.

Our care is personal. Our team is knowledgeable. And we’re more available than ever.

With access to board-certified specialists across Kansas City, we have the tools to meet almost every musculoskeletal condition.

Use our Symptom Tracker Tool to connect with the right KCOA physician for your unique needs—and get back to the things that matter most.

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Testimonials

An incredibly efficient office.

An incredibly efficient office. Physician was attentive, knowledgeable, clear and supportive. It was a great experience.

Alan Londy

Amazing

This place is amazing! I cannot say enough good things about our experience here! From the reception desk where they were beyond helpful and even made phone calls for me to my kids pediatrician to very short wait time then the patience and help of doctors and staff that were great with my 3 year old! Getting same day service this great was so nice! Love this place and highly recommend!!

Lindsey Manter

Very professional

When you arrive into the office you are greeted by very professional receptionist. Everything about the office is nice and clean as well as when you were called to the back to be placed in the doctors waiting room. Dr. Ting is very professional, well knowledgeable, and very attentive.
Felicia Nelson

Professional

The first thing that I noticed was the traffic flow. This may sound strange but people were being seen and sent out on their way. There was not a huge roomful of frustrated, tired patients. If most (I assume) had uncomfortable and or painful maladies, they didn’t have to wait forever for attention. That was how it was for me. Professional and personable patient care.

Jillian Merrill

Dr. Ting and his staff are the best!

Dr. Ting and his staff are the best! Sarah his nurse is kind and supportive. Dr. Tings nurse for surgery was absolutely the best! Dr. Ting, I have complete faith in. He is who I shall go to for anything he handles! Can’t say enough about him! Thank you all for making a scary time a completely peaceful event. You are the best!!

Valene Vanice