"Turning Point" Study Proves Success of Denver Surgeon's Innovative Procedure

DENVER, Feb. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Research published in the February 2018 edition of Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery demonstrates that labral reconstruction, a technique pioneered by Dr. Brian White at Porter Adventist Hospital, is a superior treatment for torn labrums: a common and painful condition of the hip that affects people of all ages.

The labrum, a ringlike structure around the hip socket, can tear as a result of athletic injury or age, and most surgeons simply repair the chronically torn structure. White makes a new one, or reconstructs it.

"This study is a turning point," said White, who has performed more than 2,000 labral reconstruction surgeries. "We no longer repair any tissue in the body that is chronically torn, except in the hip. This research shows we can replace hip tissue just like we can in other joints. It's a massive change."

White's study compared results from 29 patients, age 14 to 51, who underwent arthroscopy on both hips. On one side the labrum was repaired, on the other it was reconstructed. The study allowed doctors to compare results on two hips within the same patient, the only variable was the treatment for the labrum. After a period of two years, none of the reconstructed labrums failed, whereas nine of the repaired labrums (31 percent) did.

Remarkably, each patient whose labral repair side failed chose to have another surgery to replace the repaired labrum with a reconstructed one. In short, they wanted to enjoy the same mobility without pain as they felt in their reconstructed hips.

"Hip reconstruction surgery has proven to be everything I had hoped for and more," said Laura Dougherty-Wilkie, 46, an educator and recreational distance runner who received a reconstructed labrum in 2016. "In less than a year's time… I was running well enough on the reconstructed hip to run one of my best races ever."

About Porter Adventist Hospital

Porter Adventist Hospital is a full service, acute-care referral center specializing in joint replacement, cancer care, vascular procedures, emergency services, advanced robotic surgery and organ transplants. Porter is part of Centura Health, the region's largest hospital and health care network. For more information, visit porterhospital.org.

Contact: Christina Nicholson Marketing & Media Relations Porter Adventist Hospital P. 303-765-6484 C. 763-670-2537

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SOURCE Porter Adventist Hospital