Innovative hip procedure helps BJC doctor get moving again

Jeffrey Glaser, MD, FACS, a Washington University urologist, was an avid runner, hockey player and skier — until his hip pain got in the way of him enjoying those activities. At first, he simply modified his activity so his hip would hurt less, such as by working out on an elliptical and biking instead of running on pavement. But then the pain got so significant that his hip hurt even while doing low-impact exercises.

Although Dr. Glaser had been on staff at BJC HealthCare for more than 30 years, it still took him years before he consulted with one of his colleagues, BJC Medical Group Orthopedic Surgeon Anthony Berni, MD, for his hip pain. This was because Dr. Glaser denied what he was experiencing, at least until he was no longer able to do the activities he loved and did not want to get surgery. But when he was ready to act, Dr. Berni was there for him.

“The employees at BJC care about their patients and about each other,” Dr. Glaser says. “They are a  cohesive group who get along with each other and work well as a team. There’s good communication, so things don’t fall through the cracks. Before and after my care, the communication from Dr. Berni and his team was outstanding.”

For more than a decade, Dr. Berni has been performing a technique for hip replacement surgery called SuperPath. SuperPath, or Supercapsular Percutaneously-Assisted Total Hip procedure, is a less invasive procedure than traditional anterior or posterior hip replacement because it does not cut through ligaments, muscles or their tendons. A small lateral incision is made, through which a surgeon assembles a new hip within the body without dislocating the hip. SuperPath, for this reason, means less pain, a quicker recovery and better joint stability.

That was the case for Dr. Glaser, who was only on pain medication for 36 hours after his procedure, was back at the gym working on his upper body after three days and back on the elliptical after eight days. He even attended a wedding in Chicago just over two weeks after the operation and was able to dance at the reception.

Now, instead of living with pain, Dr. Glaser is recommending others see if the SuperPath procedure is right for them.

“I’ve referred ten or more people for this procedure, many of them doctors and health care professionals,” says Dr. Glaser. “When I have issues with my other hip, I’m not going to wait to have this done.”

To learn more about orthopedics at BJC, visit BJC.org/medical-services/orthopedics