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The other day, my father showed up for a visit and he brought some young fellow with him, who was wearing big sunglasses, long shorts, and a visor hat.

I asked who he brought home this time, and he said, "This is my new hip replacement."

I had to run out of there right fast because if you laugh at his jokes, it only encourages him - but it reminded me that I've been meaning to chat about hip replacement surgery, so here we are.

The point is, if you need a new hip, there are better options than the traditional surgery - or my Dad's jokes.

If you're up to date on all the latest techniques, surgical options, and whatnot - I have to ask, how up to date?

Some new techniques are coming out that have changed everything, and they're right at the sweet spot right now. They're old enough that the surgeons offering them have experience, and have worked out all the complications - but they are so new, that you may not have heard of them yet.

Specifically, I'm talking about a new technique that can practically eliminate your surgical scarring, not to mention all the benefits it offers during your recovery - and it's called the Bikini D A A technique.

In case you haven't heard of it, I'll leave a link in the description to an explainer from a local expert, Professor Paul Lee from MSK Doctors. He explains everything about the new technique - and accepts new patients with no referral, so you can get all the information you need, or book an appointment to learn more, at that link.

What you need to know right now, in the short form, is simple.

The Bikini DAA, or Direct Anterior Approach, is a surgical technique that can get you a whole new hip, with minimal surgical trauma or scarring.

How it works is simple, in layman's terms at least - it allows the surgical team to install your new hip without cutting any of the important muscles or tendons surrounding it.

That means there's comparatively little surgical trauma for you to heal, and that leads to a whole host of benefits. There's reduced blood loss, reduced risk of dislocations, a faster recovery, and a more stable hip, right off the hop.

You probably won't be running any marathons right away, but you'll be able to practice walking with crutches right after your operation, and you'll be driving around again in about a month.

The big one though, the thing the Bikini DAA technique does better than any other hip replacement option, is hide the scarring.

Obviously, they can't actually eliminate the scar - an incision has to be made. They can make it nearly invisible though, by hiding it in the bikini line. That's how this operation got its name.

However, one thing to watch out for - you really want a skilled and experienced surgeon.

This technique is pretty new, and in clinical trials, they found the more experienced a surgeon was with the Bikini surgery, the fewer complications, and the better they could hide the scar.

Since it's a pretty new surgery still, there aren't a lot of experienced surgeons - but Prof. Paul Lee from MSK Doctors is one of them. He even helped to perfect some of the newest techniques, like the Spare surgery, working with Dr. Timperley at the renowned Exeter Hip unit.

If you haven't heard of it, Spare, spelled S P A I R E, is another hip replacement option that also has a lot to offer - except instead of working to hide the scar, it's all about reducing your recovery time.

Which surgery is best for you could depend on a lot of things, including your own anatomy.

My advice is just to ask someone about it - preferably a specialist.

If you're in London, you can even talk to Prof. Lee about it, at MSK Doctors. They don't believe in waiting lists or GP referrals for consultation, diagnosis, or treatment, so you can just book your own appointment, at any time, online or over the phone.

You can get all this information straight from the experts too, in their own words.

Just check out the link I left in the description to learn more about the Bikini DAA or Spaire surgery - or to book an appointment with a specialist who doesn't use waiting lists. MSK Doctors City: Sleaford Address: MSK House London Road Website https://www.mskdoctors.com Phone +44-330-001-0048 Email team@mskdoctors.com