Bar Device Helps OR Staff Posture Patient During hip Surgery

Using the carbon fiber support, the extension device is adapted to the length of the patient's leg; a separate skid slides on the carbon fiber support to facilitate this adjustment. Vertical height adjustment is adjusted through a release lever located at the back end of the support. A foot holder, equipped with a quick-change attachment, is also part of the device, and can be turned through 360° and locked in the required position. This enables the surgeon or the OR team to reposition the leg during the operation. Using the pelvic tabletop, the patient's pelvis can also be accessed from the side, making repositioning unnecessary. An additional benefit is that the pelvis can be X-rayed at any time, since the pelvic tabletop is also made of carbon fiber. Operation of the extension device by the care staff is intuitive and storage space requirements are kept to a minimum, as it is designed to fold away when not in use. The MIS HIP extension device is a product of Maquet (Rastatt, Germany), and can be used with implants of any make.

"With minimally-invasive methods with anterior access, we only need to make an incision of 8 to 10 centimeters, compared to the 20 centimeters needed with a conventional approach,” said Professor Hartmuth Kiefer, M.D., medical director of the Lukas Hospital (Bünde, Germany). "What is really important however is that less muscle tissue has to be displaced, which helps to preserve and protect muscle function; this means less discomfort for the patient and shorter recovery times.”

A prerequirement for ensuring the best access to the surgical field during minimally invasive hip surgery is the free movement of the leg during the operation. By using an anterior approach, a significant shortening of the early rehabilitation phase and faster patient recovery can be achieved. An additional benefit is that the pure muscle-power of the care staff is not enough to provide sufficient leg movement in many cases, and also demands increased personnel; deployment of the MIS extension device means that one less doctor is needed to assist during the operation than with conventional hip replacement procedures.

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Lukas Hospital