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Outpatient Total Hip Replacement in Austin
After performing over 1400 anterior approach total hip replacements Dr. Dodgin has performed his first outpatient total hip replacement at Cedar Park Regional Medical Center, and the patient is doing well at home.
Dr. Dodgin has spent his career focused on outcome-based orthopedics. His goal has been to use the most minimally invasive procedures to gain the most desired outcomes and return hip patients to their normal daily lives as soon as possible. Performing his first outpatient total hip replacement is the latest step in that direction.
"My hip replacement surgery was fairly easy for me and I was more than ready to have it done. I had difficulty sleeping comfortably and discomfort after walking long distances or playing golf. I was very happy with my surgery/hospital experience. The only downside was using a bedpan for the first time in my life! Once home, the home health care and pt helped me make a lot of progress in s short time before I moved on to physical therapy at a facility. Two and a half months later I rode a cart to play golf and from then on walked the golf course. Kudos to Dr. Heinrich who always took time to listen and answer any questions-plus his excellent surgical expertise!"
How is it done?
Refraining from the use of general anesthesia allows his patients to minimize the most common post operative complaints of nausea, disorientation, and low blood pressure. These techniques and various medications significantly reduce blood loss during surgery, thereby eliminating the need for constant monitoring via lab work. This combined with Dr. Dodgin’s 10 years of experience in performing the anterior approach surgery to the hip, minimizes trauma to the muscle and surrounding hip tissue causing less pain and maximizing immediate function of the operative hip allowing patients to return to the comforts of their own home for rest and rehabilitation the day of surgery rather than staying in the hospital for two to three days.
Dr. Dodgin has taught and utilized anterior total hip replacement techniques for the last 10 years, Along with the originating surgeon, Dr. Joel Matta, Dr. Dodgin’s teaching efforts originally spread this technique from California to Chicago and eventually elsewhere over the last 10 years. Now in Austin since 2008 he continues to push the envelope with joint replacement combined with emerging technologies such as robotics.
The outpatient hip and soon-to-come knee replacement programs will continue to grow, and patients’ candidacy for outpatient surgery will continue to be expanded. Currently, it is most appropriate for a select group of patients whom have a relative healthy medical history and whom physically are capable of early mobilization. Please refer to the outpatient hip and knee replacement section on the website for further information.
