Hip Replacement in Carefree, AZ

Back on The Boulders course. Back on Black Mountain. Back to Carefree life on your own terms — without hip pain holding you back. Dr. Gough’s minimally invasive approach means same-day discharge and no long list of restrictions afterward.

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Carefree Was Built for People Who Live Life on Their Own Terms

Carefree residents chose this community deliberately — for the high-desert setting, the world-class golf, the hiking, the arts, and a pace of life that is unhurried but never inactive. The Boulders Golf Club offers two of the most visually stunning and technically rewarding courses in Arizona, set among the community’s signature granite boulder formations. Desert Forest Golf Club is one of the state’s most respected layouts. Black Mountain provides the community’s signature hiking experience, with trails that deliver sweeping views of the Sonoran Desert. Cave Creek Regional Park expands the hiking territory further. And Easy Street and the Carefree town center offer walkable arts, dining, and wellness close to home. Hip pain disrupts all of it. The round at The Boulders gets cut short. The Black Mountain trail becomes too steep. Getting in and out of the car after dinner on Easy Street becomes something you dread. For Carefree residents who chose this community for its freedom and its active beauty, a hip that no longer works is a fundamental loss. Dr. Brandon Gough is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon practicing in North Scottsdale. His patients walk the same day as surgery, go home within 24 hours, and return to the courses and the trails on a timeline that regularly surprises them.

Signs It May Be Time to Consider Hip Replacement

Hip pain that wakes you up at night or makes it impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position
Groin or hip stiffness that affects your swing at The Boulders or Desert Forest, or makes walking 18 holes difficult
Pain on Black Mountain or in Cave Creek Regional Park that forces you to cut hikes short or avoid them entirely
Stiffness getting in and out of the car, or pain walking Easy Street and the Carefree town center
Non-surgical treatments — injections, physical therapy, anti-inflammatories — that are no longer providing meaningful relief

How Dr. Gough's Approach Compares to Traditional Hip Replacement

	Traditional	Dr. Gough
Incision	10–12 inches	4–6 inches
Muscle handling	Cut or detached	Fully preserved
Walking	Days after surgery	Same day
Recovery	6–12 weeks	Weeks, not months
Restrictions	Long post-op list	None
Hospital stay	2–4 days	Same day / 24 hrs

The Direct Superior Approach — Why Carefree Patients Choose It

Dr. Gough uses the Direct Superior approach to total hip replacement — a technique that does not cut or detach the major muscles around the hip. The joint is accessed through a 4-inch incision without twisting or overextending the leg. Because the muscles are preserved, recovery begins immediately: most patients stand and walk within hours of surgery, go home the same day, and face no post-surgery hip restrictions. For Carefree patients, this matters in practical terms. No long list of movements to avoid. No months of restricted recovery. A return to The Boulders fairways, the Black Mountain trails, Easy Street, and Carefree life on your own terms — measured in weeks, not months. For patients who have already had a hip replacement that is causing pain or instability, Dr. Gough also performs complex revision total hip replacement. Revision cases are more complex than primary replacements, which is exactly why experience and specialized training matter more — not less.

What Recovery Looks Like for Carefree Patients

Most of Dr. Gough’s total hip replacement patients walk with assistance the same day as surgery and go home within 24 hours. In the first week, walking begins with a cane or walker and physical therapy starts. By weeks two and three, most patients are off assistive devices and returning to driving. By weeks three to four, many are walking the flatter paths around the Carefree town center and desert gardens. By months two and three, most patients have returned to full activity — including The Boulders Golf Club, Black Mountain, Cave Creek Regional Park, and Carefree life at full pace. Revision hip replacement recovery follows a longer timeline — typically one to two days in the facility, followed by a structured rehabilitation program over three months and continued improvement through the first year.

I was back on The Boulders course about ten weeks after surgery. Walking all 18, no pain, full swing. Dr. Gough was direct and honest with me from our first meeting and the results were exactly what he described.

BOARD CERTIFIED ORTHPAEDIC SURGEON

Meet Dr. Brandon Gough, M.D.

Dr. Brandon Gough is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and a leader in minimally invasive and robotic-assisted hip and knee replacement.

Dr. Brandon Gough is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon based in Scottsdale, Arizona. He specializes in hip and knee reconstruction and has performed over 8,000 procedures since 2013.

He is one of a select group of surgeons in the country trained in the Direct Superior approach to hip replacement — a technique that eliminates post-surgery restrictions and dramatically reduces recovery time. He is also a past consultant and educator for Stryker Orthopaedics, training surgeons from around the world in minimally invasive joint replacement techniques.

Beyond the operating room, Dr. Gough volunteers with Magis Clinic, Madonna School, Habitat for Humanity, and Sienna St. Francis Clinic. He believes that exceptional surgical care and genuine compassion go hand in hand.

Hip Replacement Questions from Carefree Patients

How far is Dr. Gough's practice from Carefree?

Dr. Gough’s private practice is at 8575 E. Princess Dr., Suite 210, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 — approximately 20 to 25 minutes from Carefree via Scottsdale Road and Cave Creek Road. He also operates at Aloe Surgical Center and Abrazo Scottsdale Campus, both in the Scottsdale area.

Will I be able to play golf at The Boulders again after hip replacement?

Most patients return to golf within two to three months of total hip replacement using Dr. Gough’s Direct Superior technique. Because the surrounding muscles are preserved — not cut and rebuilt — the strength and stability needed for your swing are intact from day one. The terrain at The Boulders requires good hip stability across varied ground, and Dr. Gough will give you a specific activity plan at your consultation based on your goals and recovery progress.

Is same-day discharge safe for hip replacement?

Yes — for appropriate candidates, same-day discharge is as safe as an overnight hospital stay and produces equivalent outcomes. Dr. Gough’s technique causes significantly less soft tissue trauma than traditional approaches, which means patients are stable, mobile, and ready to go home within hours of surgery. Every patient is monitored closely before discharge is confirmed.

Does insurance cover hip replacement surgery?

Most major insurance plans — including Medicare and PPO plans common among Carefree residents — cover hip replacement when it is medically necessary. Dr. Gough’s team will verify your insurance benefits before your consultation so there are no surprises. Gough Surgical accepts most major plans including Medicare, United Healthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Ambetter, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Ready to Get Back to Carefree Life?

Call 602-359-3088 or complete the form to schedule your consultation with Dr. Gough. His team will review your imaging, assess your hip, and give you a direct, honest recommendation on whether hip replacement is right for you — and what your recovery would realistically look like.