What is a Hip Surgeon?

Hip surgeons are doctors who specialize in conditions that affect the hip. Hip surgeons can be medical doctors, meaning they have an M.D., or they can be doctors of osteopathic medicine, meaning they have a D.O. Both degree titles require the same certifications and and post-medical school training to specialize in hip surgery.

After completing medical school, doctors who aim to become hip surgeons must graduate from an orthopedic surgery residency program. Specialization in hip surgery requires an additional year or more of fellowship training after completing surgical residency.

Typical Conditions Treated

Some of the common hip conditions treated by orthopedic hip surgeons include hip dysplasia, osteoporosis of the hip, osteonecrosis of the hip, and snapping hip syndrome.

Hip conditions can be congenital, meaning they were present at birth, or they may be due to trauma, tumors, or infections. Conditions may also be degenerative, meaning that they cause the structures they affect to gradually deteriorate or break down over time. Arthritis of the hip is one example of a degenerative hip condition. Bursitis of the hip and tendonitis of the hip are conditions that may be caused by overuse. Orthopedic hip surgeons may also treat hip fractures and other trauma-related hip injuries. Orthopedic surgeons who specialize in hip surgery may also treat avascular necrosis and Perthes Disease.

Typical Procedures Performed

If there is significant destruction and pain in the hip, your hip surgeon may recommend surgical treatment. Orthopedic hip surgeons specialize in performing procedures like minimally invasive hip replacement, total hip replacement, hip resurfacing, hip implants and others. Some procedures may be performed in a minimally invasive fashion, which involves making smaller incisions. One way this is accomplished is through arthroscopy, where a camera called an arthroscope is inserted through a small incision into your hip joint. The arthroscope transmits images of the inside of your hip joint, so your doctor can see them on a monitor during the procedure. Hip arthroscopy is a procedure used to determine the location or extent of disorders or damage in the hip. Arthroscopic cartilage repair and arthroscopic bone spur are two procedures orthopedic hip doctors may perform using arthroscopy. Hip replacement may be performed in a minimally invasive fashion or in a traditional fashion.