Hip Arthroscopy Specialist Treating Patients in Houston, TX

When you receive hip arthroscopy revision surgery from Dr. Gombera, he uses an arthroscope to view and address your hip issue. A revision hip arthroscopy has the following advantages over traditional open hip surgery:

• Shorter hospital stay (if any)
• Less damage to the surrounding tissue
• Less pain
• Faster recovery time
• Lower risk of infection
• Less scarring at the treatment site
• Shorter amount of time off your feet

If you have hip pain that doesn’t get better after non-surgical treatment, Dr. Gombera might recommend a hip arthroscopy. Arthroscopic hip surgery can relieve conditions such as:

• Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI): When you have FAI, your thighbone or hip socket has extra bone that wears down cartilage as you move. In many cases, these bone spurs appear on both the bone and the socket. The damaged cartilage becomes painful and inflamed and may not go away without intervention.
• Torn cartilage or ligaments: Your body repairs minor tears in your joints on its own. However, more serious damage requires help from a specialist.
• Loose bodies: Certain hip issues cause parts of your bone and cartilage to come off. These pieces stay in your joint and irritate the surrounding tissue. They cause pain and block movement.
• Dysplasia: This issue forces the thick cartilage inside the socket to give the thighbone more support. The increased pressure on this cartilage increases its risk of tearing.

Hip joint infection: Some infections can spread to your hip joint, causing cartilage damage and pain. Some professionals call this disorder septic arthritis.

Dr. Gombera performs arthroscopic hip surgery to achieve one or more of the following goals:

• Remove damaged cartilage, hip scar tissue or bone chips that cause pain and restricted movement
• Repair the labrum, the fibrous cartilage that protects the inside of the hip socket
• Shave down bone spurs and other bone growths
• Take out part of the inflamed joint lining in patients with inflammatory arthritis
• Mend torn ligaments or fractures caused by injury and trauma
• Diagnose a condition that doesn’t get better with non-surgical treatment
• Drain infected fluid from the joints

No matter what method Dr. Gombera uses, he has one main mission — to address your hip pain and help you move again.

During your arthroscopy, you will receive general anesthesia. You can discuss your anesthesia preferences during one of the appointments before your surgery. After he numbs the area, Dr. Gombera will create a few small incisions that measure about a quarter of an inch. He’ll insert the arthroscope into your hip through one of the incisions.

Dr. Gombera performs postless hip arthroscopy to eliminate the risks of using a perineal post. Post-free distraction is an innovative technique which leads to less pain, a quicker recovery, and eliminates traction-related skin, soft tissue, and neurological injury after hip arthroscopy.

To make more room to see and work, Dr. Gombera will pump in a sterile fluid that opens up the joint. Once he sees your hip problem on the surgical monitor, he’ll insert tiny instruments through small incisions to provide treatment. After he finishes, he’ll use strong adhesive strips to close the incisions.

Since arthroscopic surgery needs only small incisions, it causes fewer side effects than open surgery. However, every procedure has risks, including hip arthroscopy. In rare cases, arthroscopic hip surgery can result in:

• Infection in your incision or the treated joint
• Damage to your nerves, which causes pain, tingling and numbness
• Excess bleeding in the treated joint
• Pulmonary embolism, a condition where blood clots in your legs’ deep veins travel to the lungs

Taking good care of your hip after your arthroscopy will lower your risk of complications. Make sure that Dr. Gombera knows about all your health conditions and medications before your procedure. He can take the right precautions if you have a higher risk of experiencing one of these side effects.

Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat a variety of hip conditions. The indications for hip arthroscopy have been on the rise over the past several years. With the increase in the number of surgeries performed annually, there has been an increase in the number of unsuccessful procedures and the number of revision surgeries.

Recent studies have identified a variety of factors that lead to a poor outcome of a hip arthroscopy. Some of them are:

• Advanced osteoarthritis (destruction of cartilage in the joints)
• Severe osteonecrosis (death of bone resulting from reduced blood flow to the bones)
• Persistentfemoroacetabular impingement
• Insufficient correction or overcorrection leading to instability or fracture
• Failure to repair labral tears or labral lesions
• Adhesion/scar tissue formation
• Poor patient selection

Recent studies have identified a variety of factors that lead to a poor outcome of a hip arthroscopy. Some of them are:

• Advanced osteoarthritis (destruction of cartilage in the joints)
• Severe osteonecrosis (death of bone resulting from reduced blood flow to the bones)
• Persistentfemoroacetabular impingement
• Insufficient correction or overcorrection leading to instability or fracture
• Failure to repair labral tears or labral lesions
• Adhesion/scar tissue formation
• Poor patient selection

The success of a revision hip arthroscopy lies on identifying the root cause of the failure of the initial surgery. Repeat X-rays and 3D CT scans could help assess abnormalities following surgery, though no study can replace the intraoperative assessment of an experienced hip arthroscopic surgeon.

A repeat hip arthroscopy procedure is indicated when persistent pain remains following a hip arthroscopy procedure. During a hip arthroscopy procedure, your leg is put into traction and your surgeon will create a small incision in your hip. An arthroscope is then inserted through this incision into your hip joint, which relays the inside of your hip joint. Once an abnormality is identified, your surgeon will insert the necessary instruments through separate incisions in order to rectify the abnormality. The length of the surgery will depend on the extent of the damage and the amount of work involved by the surgeon.

Arthroscopy is a relatively safe procedure and complications are fairly uncommon. Some of the potential risks include:

• The traction provided during the procedure can stretch nerves and can cause temporary numbness.
• There is a very low risk of any injury to the surrounding nerves or vessels.
• There is also a minor risk of wound infections as well as deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the legs).

• After surgery you will stay in the recovery room for a few hours and will be discharged home.
• You will not be able to drive, and you may need to have someone drive you home.
• You will be on crutches or a walker for some period of time.
• Physical therapy will be involved in helping you restore your strength and mobility, and also to guide you with the do’s and dont’s during your recovery period.

A successful revision hip arthroscopy surgery after a failed hip arthroscopy can help alleviate your pain and improve your mobility.A rehabilitation program consisting of early range of motion exercises can help you attain a faster recovery.

In many cases, you can go home the same day you have your hip arthroscopy. You and Dr. Gombera will schedule a follow-up appointment after the procedure. Between your surgery and the follow-up visit, you need to take some precautions to prevent complications and recover as fast as possible. The post-operative checklist includes tasks like:

• Taking pain medications to reduce discomfort and prevent clotting
• Using crutches to take weight off your recovering hip
• Completing basic physical therapy exercises to keep your muscles strong
• Limiting smoking and eating a healthy diet to make recovery faster
• Avoiding strenuous physical activities like heavy lifting
• Keeping your dressing and incisions dry and clean
• Applying ice to your hip to reduce swelling

After the follow-up appointment, you’ll continue to do physical therapy exercises for the next few months. The length of time it will take for your hip to recover depends on the nature of the surgery and your body’s natural recovery. If you’d like a comprehensive post-hip arthroscopy surgery checklist, click here to learn more!

The office of Mufaddal Gombera, MD welcomes new patients looking for relief from hip pain. Patients in the Houston, TX areas can get treatment for their hip, shoulder and knee issues.

Dr. Gombera has experience working with both professional athletes and less active patients. Anyone can get hip treatment from our office, no matter if they need to get back on the field or get back to work. Use our online booking tool to schedule a visit online, or call us at (713) 794-3457. We look forward to helping you find a solution to your hip problem.