The good news about Hip Flexor surgery is that it is rarely needed in the case of most injuries. Don’t confuse this with Hip surgery done on the joint itself, as this becomes increasingly common as people age. In this case, we are concerned with the main structures of the muscle group: the tendons, ligaments and of course muscles.
When is Surgery Needed?
In almost all cases, your doctor is going want to try and let your injury or condition heal on its own. However, if the injury is too severe, or not responding to your recovery efforts, surgery may be the best possible treatment option for your injured Hip Flexors. It is also used sometimes for bad injuries that hamper your ability to work, often in professional sports to speed up recovery.
Snapping hip syndrome is one of the most common reasons for Hip Flexor surgery. Sometimes the condition won’t resolve on its own and arthroscopic surgery is needed to ‘release’ the tendon.
The other common injury that can require surgery is a complete Hip Flexor tear. Sometimes these tears are extremely slow to heal because there is damage to the tendons that connect muscle to bone and other surrounding structures. Surgery can be used to address any small problems like bone spurs, and more importantly to re-attach tendons if they have been pulled off.
Types of Surgeries
Muscle and other soft tissue injuries have similar types of surgical procedures, in general there are two main types of surgery:
Open Surgery
This is the typical invasive surgery you see on TV. A large incision is made in the body for complete access to the area. This is needed if there is massive damage to multiple parts of the area or just a complex tear. It’s typically the last resort if no other less invasive procedures are appropriate.
Arthroscopic Surgery
Instead of cutting you open to see the whole area, with an arthroscopic camera that is inserted through a much smaller incision, the surgeon can see the whole area. There will be other small incisions made as needed to make the actual repairs, but much less than in open surgery. If you require surgery for snapping hip syndrome, this is the most likely and preferable option to be used.
Risks of an Operation
The reason that surgery is the last resort is that it introduces risks that would obviously not be present in natural healing. You should be aware that surgery on the Hip Flexors comes with the following risks:
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Nerve pain: There are a few key nerves in the hip region that could all be influenced by surgery. They can be damaged, pinched, or otherwise hindered.
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Infection: While you can deal with infection risks by taking antibiotics, it’s still a risk during any surgery.
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Weakness and Stiffness: As with any surgery there’s going to be some pain and strength loss. The exact amount will depend on your procedure and the extent of injury, but you can incorporate rehab to minimize the negative effects.
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Re-injury: Even though surgery is very effective, there is a very real chance that it won’t be successful. Sometimes your Hip Flexor muscles will re-tear and you may even need surgery again.
Bottom line, Hip Flexor surgery is something you want to avoid when treating injuries whenever possible. If you do need to have surgery, know what the risks are and how invasive it will be beforehand.
