Development, Implementation, and Dissemination of a Minimally Invasive Two-Incision Technique for Total Hip Arthroplasty

The author describes the development of a clinical pathway for a minimally invasive technique for total hip arthroplasty resulting in faster recovery from surgery. Of the first 100 patients enrolled in the outpatient protocol, 92% were discharged the day of surgery. In the subsequent 200 patient group, all returned home the day of surgery without any acute readmissions due to early discharge. The overall complication rate for these 1,525 two-incision total hips done by 7 different surgeons at 6 different institutions was 1.9%. This pathway requires meticulous surgical technique, specialized instrumentation, and special instruction and training.