Our five-year old son had surgery to clean and drain an infection in his hip. I knew there would be an opening made in the front of the hip. But there’s also a tiny spout poking out the back. What in the world is that for?

Your surgeon may have put a drain in the hip. This allows fluid in the joint to drain out while the child is lying on his back. The drain is taken out after the first 24-hours.

This is a new technique surgeons are advised to use. It allows them to operate from the front (called an anterior approach but drain out the back. The drain can be threaded through the anterior opening with just a small stab wound to let it out the other side.

The anterior approach is safer with less risk of damage to the nerves and blood vessels. Less muscle is disrupted, too. And the anterior method gives the surgeon quick and easy access to the joint.