Dr. Travis W. Hanson has spent his career doing both: delivering exceptional care to active patients at Houston Methodist West, and advancing the field of foot and ankle surgery through research, innovation, and teaching.
Dr. Travis W. Hanson is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon with an exclusive focus on foot and ankle surgery at Houston Methodist West. What sets him apart is not any single credential, but the combination of elite academic training, original research and invention, decades of teaching, and a clinical philosophy centered on doing right by each individual patient.
He believes surgery should be the last resort, not the first recommendation. Before any operative conversation, Dr. Hanson works with patients to exhaust every non-surgical option available. When surgery is appropriate, he offers some of the most advanced techniques in his field, including minimally invasive approaches to bunion correction, Achilles repair, and fracture fixation.
Dr. Hanson's academic path reflects consistent excellence at every level. He earned his undergraduate degree at Rice University, where he received the John C. McGovern Outstanding Pre-Medical Student Award. He then completed his medical degree at Washington University School of Medicine, where he was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha, the honor society reserved for the top medical students in the country.
He completed both his general surgery internship and his orthopedic surgery residency at UCLA Medical Center, one of the most competitive programs in the nation. He then returned to Houston for his subspecialty fellowship in foot and ankle surgery at UT Health Science Center at Houston.
Rice University
Undergraduate — John C. McGovern Outstanding Pre-Medical Student Award
Washington University School of Medicine
MD — Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society
UCLA Medical Center
General Surgery Internship & Orthopedic Surgery Residency
UT Health Science Center at Houston
Fellowship — Foot & Ankle Surgery
Since May 2017, Dr. Hanson has held an appointment as Assistant Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery through Weill Cornell Medicine. This academic role reflects an ongoing commitment to advancing the field beyond his own practice.
He has been actively involved in the surgical education of orthopedic residents and fellows for more than fifteen years, including participation in cadaveric teaching laboratories. He also serves as an industry design consultant, contributing his clinical expertise to the development of next-generation orthopedic implants and instruments.
Dr. Hanson has served at the highest levels of sports medicine throughout his career. He currently serves as team physician for Rice University Athletics, providing orthopedic care to Division I student athletes across all varsity programs.
He previously served as team physician for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer, and has served on the medical staff for both the U.S. Men's and Women's Soccer National Teams.
Dr. Hanson is a named co-inventor on two U.S. patents for orthopedic fixation devices, both granted in the United States and internationally. These devices were developed collaboratively with colleagues at Houston Methodist and are used in operating rooms today. His published research spans posterior ankle impingement, joint dislocation management, tendon transfer complications, and arthroscopic technique.
View Innovation & Research →Dr. Hanson has been named a Texas Monthly Super Doc for multiple consecutive years, a designation based on peer recognition among physicians across the state.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Hanson at Houston Methodist West.
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