Dr. Heinrich Visits Guatemala for Faith in Practice!

Dr. Heinrich recently returned from a weeklong mission trip to Guatemala as part of the Faith in Practice Medical Mission. He traveled with a team of other medical professionals, including orthopedic surgeons, an anesthesiologist, a scrub tech, a surgical tech, a hardware rep and a nurse, with the goal of providing life-changing surgeries for patients traveling from all over the country.

Here are some great photos from Dr. Heinrich’s time in Guatemala.

To see the entire collection of photos from the trip and to read a wonderful blog about their week in Guatemala, please click here

Dr. Dodgin Performs his First Outpatient Joint Replacement Surgery!

October 2013

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.

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.

April 2013 - Dr. Heinrich had a successful trip to Guatemala for a week of treating patients who lack access to medical treatment.

Click here to read more about his trip!

April 2013 - Dr. Heinrich receives HCA's Frist Humanitarian Award. The Frist Humanitarian Award is the highest award presented by HCA. Each year, a physician, employee and volunteer from each facility receives the award, which is based on the excellent performance and outstanding community service.

Dr. Heinrich's trip to Guatemala with Faith in Practice in the Houston Chronicle!

Click here to read more

February 2013 - Dr. Heinrich is preparing for his annual medical-mission trip in Guatemala with Faith in Practice. The Houston organization was founded in 1994 and conducts short-term surgical, medical and dental trips.

February 2013 - Dr. Dodgin submits protocol for A Study Examining the Clinical Outcome of Concurrent Treatment of Meniscal Tears and Chondromalacia by Means of Autologous Bone Marrow Concentrate Injection and Meniscectomy to the Austin Multi-Institutional Review Board.

January 2013 - Dr. Dodgin completes authorship of protocol entitled A Study Examining the Clinical Outcome of Concurrent Treatment of Meniscal Tears and Chondromalacia by Means of Autologous Bone Marrow Concentrate Injection and Meniscectomy. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and feasibility of an additional physician directed procedure performed at the same setting that includes bone marrow aspiration from the ipsilateral lower extremity, concentration of the bone marrow aspirate, followed by an intra-articular injection into the operative knee.

September 2012 - TIHKS begins 10-year study entitled Global Oxford Partial Knee: Signature vs. Conventional Instruments at High & Low Volume Centers. This study will compare alignment criteria in the Oxford Partial Knee using conventional instrumentation and Signature Custom Guides in order to determine if the use of the Signature Custom Guides results in a higher percentage of knees achieving optimal alignment.

February 2012 - Dr. Dodgin starts a two-year study entitled Prospective Multicenter Open Label Study Examining the Short-term Safety and Efficacy of the Modular Revision Hip System (MRHS). The purpose of this study is to examine the short term efficacy of the MRH system as well as determine if operating room time is decreased using this simple, two-tray system.

November 2012 - Commencement of new 10-year study entitled Prospective Multicenter Open Label Study Examining the Mid- and Long-term Safety and Efficacy of the 3DKnee™ System with Vitamin E UHMWPE Tibial Inserts (3DKnee™ with eplus Insert). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use and efficacy of the 3DKnee™ System using Vitamin E UHMWPE tibial inserts for total knee replacement surgery.

July 2012 - Dr. Dodgin and Dr. Heinrich concludes study entitled Impact of Non-thermal Pulsed Radio Frequency (PRF) on Opioid Use, Pain, and Joint Function Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial.

July 2012 - Dr. Heinrich concludes the 10-year study examining the asr™-xl acetabular cup system compared to the pinnacle™ metal- on- metal total hip system.

October 2011 - TIHKS begins working with McMaster University and Dr. Mohit Bhandari on a study entitled Outcomes Following Anterior Approach to Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Multi-Centre Observational Cohort Study. This study is designed to examine the effectiveness of the Anterior Approach method in Total Hip Arthroplasty.

August 2011 - TIHKS commences 10-year study entitled Continuum^® Metal Bearing System In Total Hip Arthroplasty. The purpose of this study is to collect information to evaluate the performance of the Zimmer Continuum Metal on Metal Acetabular Hip System.