A Picture Perfect Hip Replacement!

As a film editor for television and films for nearly 25 years, Gian Ganziano of Knoxville, 46, knows his way around digital special effects. Ganziano is currently the lead editor on the television show “South Park,” plus he has edited the digital special effects for movies like “Titanic,” “Batman Forever,” “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” and many others. He commutes to Los Angeles for work, but he and his family call Knoxville home.
Recently, Ganziano was the recipient of “special effects” technology performed in real life at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. He had a direct anterior hip replacement with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Paul Yau. “Both my parents have had both hips replaced, so I think it’s something genetic. I have a lot of arthritis in my hips. I used to do a lot of hiking, but noticed over the last couple of years I wasn’t able to get out and do as much movement as I was used to, and the pain was getting worse,” said Ganziano.
Ganziano said he wanted to use this summer and his few months of downtime to get his right hip replaced. “My general doctor recommended Dr. Yau’s practice, and I got online and looked at the reviews. He had some really good words written about him, and I set up an appointment,” said Ganziano. What Ganziano learned at that appointment is that for about 95 percent of his hip replacement patients, Dr. Yau uses the “anterior” approach, which means he makes an incision in the front (anterior) part of the hip instead of the side or rear. Entering via this route, Yau can separate the muscles and tendons instead of cutting through them to install the new hip joint. This, in turn, means a quicker recovery (see accompanying article) and fewer complications. Ganziano stayed just one night at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center for his hip replacement. “Fort Sanders was phenomenal,” he said. “The nurses were great and attentive. The whole staff, from nurses to the physical therapy staff, was great. It’s one of the best hospital experiences I’ve ever had. It was clean. It was a pleasant experience from the time I checked in.” Just hours after surgery, Ganziano was up and walking around the hospital. After three weeks of recovery and physical therapy, he is now back to work in Los Angeles. “I’ve compressed six weeks of recovery into three,” said Ganziano. “I’m up and walking and I have no pain whatsoever. If things go the way we’re thinking they will, I’ll come back in December and do the left hip, but we’ll see.”