Surgery Services

South Texas Regional Medical Center's large surgical suites are designed to give your surgeon and staff ample room to provide the best in care and equipment. The Surgical Department offers efficient care throughout the perioperative process, beginning with the professional services of our Surgical Services Coordinator, Admitting and Holding Room Nurses.

Our experienced surgical staff members have memberships and certifications from their nationally recognized organizations:

• Association of Operating Room Nurses
• Association of Surgical Technologists
• American Society of Post Anesthesia Care Nurses
• National Institute of Healthcare Sterile Processing and Distribution

The department offers a wide variety of surgical services:

• Gastrointestinal
• General
• Gynecological
• Urological
• Ear, Nose and Throat
• Ophthalmic
• Orthopedic

Get “hip” to replacement surgery

Worn-out arthritic hip joints can make simple actions like walking extremely painful. STRMC is the only hospital in the tri-city area to offer an advanced, minimally invasive procedure to relieve pain and increase mobility. Most patients require less recovery time and a smaller incision.

An alternative to traditional hip replacement, the anterior approach technique accesses the hip joint from the front instead of the side or back. Unlike traditional surgery, a surgeon can work without detaching muscles from the hip or thigh bones. Keeping these muscles intact helps prevent dislocations and shorten healing time. Further, since the incision is on the front side of the leg, the patient may be spared from the pain of sitting on scar tissue.

Nearly 200,000 hip procedures are performed each year. In fact, Erick M. Santos, M.D., Ph.D., a local orthopaedic surgeon and independent member of the medical staff at STRMC, anticipates more patients to pursue hip replacement surgery as a result of the anterior approach technique. Doctors replace diseased hips with implants made of metal or medical grade plastic.

Dr. Santos uses special instruments and a technologically advanced OSI table, which allows him to precisely position the hip and replacement parts for surgery. These instruments and implant components also minimize tissue disruption.

This procedure is not for everyone, according to DePuy Orthopaedics, a Johnson & Johnson company that makes the implants used in the anterior approach. As with any surgery, there are risks. Recovery takes time and hard work. A new joint’s life depends on your weight, activity level, age and other factors, and each patient responds differently.

Learn more!
For a referral or more information about the anterior approach hip replacement or to make an appointment, call Erick M. Santos, M.D., Ph.D., a local orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in hip replacements, at 830-281-BONE (2663).