Tri-City athletes and other active young people experiencing hip pain will soon have access to a minimally-invasive surgical procedure that will get them back to their routines quickly.
Thanks to the hiring of a world expert to the Eagle Ridge Hospital surgery team and the donation of critical equipment by a recent ERH patient, the Port Moody hospital will be able to offer the surgery to patients beginning this month.
“I am so ecstatic, everything is coming together so nicely,” said Dr. Parth Lodhia, who did specialized training in hip arthroscopy during his training in Chicago.
Arthroscopic — minimally invasive video-assisted joint surgery — revolutionized knee and shoulder surgery and Lodhia has learned how to perform the technique for hips.
Rather than cut open the entire hip, doctors make small incisions into the joint and insert an arthroscope, which is an instrument containing a lens, light source and video camera to determine the cause of the pain and make repairs.
Dr. Lodhia said it’s used more widely in the U.S. and evidence indicates hip arthroscopy is ideal for young and active patients — typically from adolescence to their 40’s who do not have arthritis.
The goal is to to reduce further hip problems that might lead to arthritis and ultimately to a hip replacement, Dr. Lodhia said,
“The hope is that we can help young people more,” said Dr. Lodhia, noting that the surgery can be done in a day and patients are up walking with crutches and, with physiotherapy, can resume their active lifestyle within six months.
Much of the credit for the new surgical opportunity goes to Ray Bergen, a recent shoulder surgery patient, who donated $30,244 for equipment with help of friends Eric and Jennifer Martin.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to see this come together so quickly and to know it will make a tremendous difference for patients in the Tri-Cities and throughout the province,” Bergen said in a statement.
A specialized bed that takes the pressure off the hip during surgery is one of the key pieces of new equipment that has been obtained, along with the specialty video camera and lens.
Dr. Lodhia also praised the surgical team headed by Dr. Bert Perey, including doctors and nurses, for their willingness to offer the new procedure and to train in new minimally invasive procedures to treat patients with various musculoskeletal conditions.
“They have amazing talent there, they really want to add to their knowledge,” Dr. Lodhia said.
Meanwhile, the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation recently completed its $5 million capital campaign for an emergency room upgrade.
