up dramatically. Think of the potential
cost savings to society if even a fraction
of these are done as same-day versus
the traditional hospital stay.”
The traditional hip replacement
procedure typically requires hospital
stays of around four days and, in
some cases, patients may need to spend
additional time in a rehabilitation
facility. Long-term recovery can take
up to six months.
With all of the advantage it offers,
it’s no wonder that use of the DAA
hip replacement procedure has grown
dramatically in recent years. “It has
caught on significantly in the last
decade,” Dr. Schultz says. “When I
started 10 years ago, only about 3
A steep learning curve
“I was amazed at
how smoothly it
went, how easy it
was, and that it was
almost pain-free.”
—Jacquelyn Hejl
percent of physicians in the country
had any exposure or experience with
DAA. Now, I hear that at least 25
percent have been educated about it or
tried it. By surgery standards, that’s a
dramatic shift … a radical awakening.”
One of the reasons more surgeons
have not made the move to the DAA
procedure is the extensive training
required. Since traditional training has
included only the posterior and lateral
approaches, most surgeons today have
had no significant exposure to DAA.
In order for them to learn and get
comfortable with the approach, they
need to leave their practices for long
periods of time. “That’s a big expense,”
says Dr. Schultz. “Baylor Scott &
White has been very good about
allowing surgeons to take the time to
be trained and continue their medical
education, even if it means taking time
away from their workload.”
Dr. Schultz and his team use a specialized operating table called an ARCH table to achieve the leg placement
needed for the DAA procedure.
sw.org | Fall 16 THE CATALYST
27