Traditionally, hip replacements are done by cutting through muscle from the side or back of a patient, resulting in months of recovery time and mobility precautions. That’s why, when Dr. Sebastian Rodriguez performed the GTA’s first anterior hip replacement it was a massive leap forward for Humber River Hospital.

Grateful patient Michelle Massie with Dr. Sebastian Rodriguez

Using the Hana Table, funded by donor dollars, Dr. Rodriguez is able to perform hip replacement surgery through the front of a patient’s hip between the muscles, which minimizes trauma, typically leads to less pain, and results in a faster recovery. His approach spares tissue and requires less surgical dissection, meaning less bleeding and less trauma for the patient.

Anterior hip replacements do not require tendons and muscles to be cut, so patients are able to make quicker recoveries, and report experiencing less pain and more stability after surgery. Best of all, this minimally invasive procedure allows some patients to leave the Hospital within a day, compared to a typical hip replacement hospital stay of three to five days.