Joint specialist, Daniel Le, M.D., offers innovative, tissue sparing hip replacement technique

HOUSTON, Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Orthopedic surgeon and joint specialist Daniel Le, M.D., a member of Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is changing outcomes for patients at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital with a new, less invasive tissue sparing hip replacement procedure.

A fellowship-trained surgeon who specializes in joint replacement and joint care, Le was the first orthopedic specialist in Houston to use the HipSextant™ Navigation system - and among the first in the country to successfully apply the system with the SUPERPATH® hip replacement technique.

Since training on the superior capsular approach to total hip replacement surgery at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, MA, and introducing it to Houston just over a year ago, Le is now sought by out-of-state patients electing this new approach over traditional hip replacement surgery.

The super capsular approach, also referred to as "super cap" or "SUPERPATH®" is a tissue sparing approach and variation from the traditional posterior approach to hip replacement surgery.  No muscles or tendons are cut and the hip capsule is left intact, reducing recovery time and risk for postoperative hip dislocations.

When Carl Overcash, D.D.S. and his wife, Jane, came from Arkansas to see Le, the pain had become so unbearable it was affecting his dental practice.  They made the trip to Houston to learn about the work Le was doing in minimally invasive hip replacement surgery.

View the video on this patient experience.

"I'm impressed that Dr. Le doesn't have to cut through muscles and tendons in this procedure.  That's a major benefit for me. I have a family to support and a dental practice to run. I didn't want to be away from those things while enduring a long recovery process, and I was able to return to work in three weeks instead of the traditional eight weeks," said Overcash.

According to Le, Overcash was walking just 12 hours following his procedure (with physical therapy, utilizing a walker initially), which is a departure from what is expected with a standard posterior total hip replacement.

"Today, advances in materials and science require a new mentality.  As a surgeon you have to be creative and willing to embrace new ideas and concepts to make things better," said Le, who also provides physician support for the Houston Methodist Willowbrook Joint Camps and participates in residency education programs.

Performing more than 1,000 joint replacement surgeries, Le has advanced training and experience in a wide range of joint procedures, including minimally invasive hip replacement, primary joint replacement and complex revision replacement.  He regularly participates in free community seminars about advances in hip replacement surgery.

To learn more, visit www.houstonmethodist.org/orthopedics or call 281.737.0999. 

About Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital

Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital is a not-for-profit, faith-based hospital, which is part of Houston Methodist. The facility opened on December 18, 2000. The campus has expanded in Northwest Houston to serve the comprehensive health care needs of the community.

Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital has been named a Magnet recognized health care facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program^®.

It has received its chest pain and stroke accreditations, performs complex surgeries such as neurosurgery and open heart, and focuses on women and children in its new Women's & Children's Pavilion. For more information on the comprehensive services available on the Houston Methodist Willowbrook campus, please visit houstonmethodist.org/willowbrook.  To find a physician, call 281.737.2500.

Video - http://youtu.be/_gV5GOewdIg
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150106/167339

SOURCE Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital

Related Links

http://www.houstonmethodist.org/willowbrook-hospital