New hip replacement technique ensures faster recovery

Less pain, fewer complications with surgical approach that avoids cutting through muscle

- Lee Li Ying

After a bad fall in a carpark in February 2023, retiree Tang Yau Chng's right hip started to really trouble him.

The active 75-year-old, who enjoys badminton, running and golf, had previously experienced occasional stiffness, but now the pain was starting to affect his daily life.

"I couldn't really walk long distances and found it difficult to climb stairs," said Mr Tang, a grandfather of five who used to work in sales marketing.

He sought help at Changi General Hospital (CGH) and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease which commonly causes gradual damage to the hip joint.

In November 2023, Mr Tang underwent hip replacement surgery using a new surgical technique that promises faster recovery, less pain and fewer complications.

Patients who underwent it at CGH spent an average of one to two days in hospital.

Known as the anterior-based muscle-sparing (ABMS) approach, this procedure does not require cutting through muscle some other methods do, which results in longer recovery times.

"My wound healed without any complications or infection, and about a week after surgery I could walk unsupported," said Mr Tang.

Since July 2023, 30 CGH patients have had their hips replaced using this new surgical approach.