.png "Endocert Zertifizierung")
Doctors who have been awarded the seal are medical facilities that have been certified as an EndoProstheticsCenter (EPC) or as an EndoProstheticsCenter of Maximum Care (EPCmax) via endocert and have therefore demonstrated compliance with the requirements set out in an audit. Recertification is required every three years.
The criteria, requirements and differences between EPZ and EPZmax can be found here.
Minimally invasive hip arthroplasty as a modern method of surgical orthopaedics has been a much-discussed topic in the media for several years. The procedure undoubtedly has numerous advantages, provided it is performed by an experienced expert.
Minimally invasive surgical technique in connection with an artificial hip joint not only means the shortest possible skin incisions, but above all the protection of important functional body structures, in particular muscles and tendons.
The AMIS technique (AMIS = Anterior Minimally Invasive Surgery) is a particularly gentle surgical technique for implanting a hip joint endoprosthesis . It is characterized by the fact that the operation is performed through a natural muscle gap so that no muscle or nerve injuries occur. This improves post-operative rehabilitation and patients become mobile again more quickly. Blood loss is also significantly lower with this minimally invasive surgical procedure than with standard techniques.
Contrary to what is often reported in the lay press, a very high body mass index, i.e. being very overweight, is not in itself an obstacle to hip replacement surgery. Specialists in hip endoprosthetics only need a few special instruments to be able to perform the operation routinely and with very good results.
The average lifespan of hip endoprostheses is around 20 years. However, the service life of a prosthesis depends on many factors. In principle, the poorer the bone quality and the more extreme the daily load on the hip, the higher the risk of a prosthesis loosening or wearing out over time.
In principle, the AMIS method can be used in all age groups and for all body constitutions. However, the minimally invasive procedure can be more difficult for people with a very high muscle percentage. The success of minimally invasive surgery depends to a large extent on the experience of the surgeon, the specialist in hip endoprosthetics. The less experience the surgeon has, the higher the risk of complications during and after the operation.
Specialists in hip endoprosthetics are orthopaedic surgeons and trauma surgeons. The learning curve for fitting minimally invasive endoprostheses is relatively long.
It is by no means true that specialists in hip arthroplasty routinely master the minimally invasive method after around 20 to 30 procedures. Expert surgeons have completed additional courses at appropriate training clinics or anatomical institutes. Furthermore, the procedure places increased demands on the three-dimensional thinking of the hip arthroplasty specialist due to the reduced access to the joint. This must also be extensively trained beforehand.
Clinics specializing in minimally invasive hip replacement procedures generally also offer pre-operative patient training. After treatment, patients are promptly "discharged" into the care of an experienced team of physiotherapists , allowing them to become mobile again more quickly and suffer significantly less pain.
