Cedar Park Regional Medical Center is bringing new technology to the area in the form of the "hana table." This hip and knee arthroplasty table, commonly referred to as the hana table, looks more like an exercise machine than medical equipment.

Unlike traditional hip replacement surgery where an incision is made from the back or side, the hana table allows surgeons to make an incision to be made from the front. With the incision made from the front, the posterior soft tissues are not disturbed and the hip is better stabilized after surgery.

Recovery from hip replacement surgery takes so long not because of the hip, but because the muscle must reattach itself to the bone. The hana table, however, has a split surface that allows the doctor to manipulate the patient’s leg so a single incision can be made without detaching the muscle from the femur or pelvis. Furthermore, by moving the leg independently of the rest of the body, the joint is better exposed and there is less risk of extensive muscle tissue damage.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the hana table is the short recovery time it provides the patient. Traditionally, a hip replacement patient is in the hospital for approximately ten days after surgery and spends two to four months recovering, but the hana table has changed all that. Now, the patient spends only about two to four days in the hospital and as little as two months recovering.