Comments: Right around the first of the year, I began the descent into chronic hip pain that I knew would require surgery. I was facing what I thought was a surgery with daunting restrictions and a long, slow recovery. I began the process of searching for a doctor. A co-worker happened to see a segment on TV of The Doctors, that highlighted the anterior approach and she emailed me to say I should explore that option. I did a Google search and found that Drs. Greenhow and Loucke at Peak Orthopedics were about the only ones (according to Google) who perform the anterior approach in the Denver area. Not yet convinced about this "new" method, I interviewed three doctors, two of whom did the posterior surgery, and Dr. Greenhow. I also interviewd several friends who had had hip replacements by the posterior method. The other doctors and my friends tried to convince me that the anterior method really did involve cut muscles, possible numbness and blood loss, and extolled their tried and true posterior method. However, the anterior approach kept coming to my attention in a very positive way. Finally, I found someone who actually had her surgery by this method and she was ecstatic about how easy it had been. So after a couple interviews with Dr. Greenhow, I made my decision and decided that was the way I wanted to go. I am so grateful to my colleague who first introduced the idea to me and for all the other positive information that began to come my way. The surgery was a great success, the restrictions non-existent and the recovery amazingly quick. I didn't need any pain medication and after about 10 days, I was walking without a walker or cane. Dr. Greenhow's staff is superb, as is the staff at Sky Ridge Medical Center. My other hip is going to need surgery sooner or later and while I don't relish another surgery, I'll be happy when that hip is as flexible and pain-free as my replacement hip. I don't know why anyone would choose the "old fashioned" method over the anterior approach.
