Hip arthroplasty with minimally invasive surgery: a survey comparing the opinion of highly qualified experts vs patients.

In recent years, there has been an increasing debate regarding the possible role of minimally invasive (MIS) total hip arthroplasty (THA). We conducted a questionnaire survey of the Hip Society members and compared the responses of the surgeons with those of patients who were being considered for THA. 80% of surgeons who completed the survey admitted to performing MIS THA, of whom two thirds defined MIS as small incision. Of surgeons, 74% had encountered some complication related to MIS THA; 67% of patients had not heard of MIS THA. The knowledge regarding MIS THA expressed by 80% of patients was either inaccurate or not substantiated by any studies. This survey highlights the inadequacy of our current understanding of MIS THA and lack of education on the part of the patients.