Since his first anatomy class in high school, Dr. Vincent Lefler has wanted to be a doctor and to use that as his way of being a service to the community.
Following years of education and training, the podiatrist and Midland-native has returned home to his roots to fulfill that vision in what he describes as “a dream come true.”
It is through this dream that he is also able to bring enhanced surgical capabilities to his patients, techniques designed to help patients recover quicker and return them to activity sooner.
Meet Dr. Lefler.
Why did you choose health care?
I have always had an interest in helping people, and I have always had a scientific mind, such that I found myself interested in medicine from my first anatomy class in high school. I knew from that point that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine.
I explored a lot of different specialties before finally deciding on podiatry. I knew that I would have the freedom to practice surgery, sports medicine, wound care, or teaching in either a private practice or hospital-based scenario. Working with my hands was something that I knew I would require in my career path. Since all podiatrists are trained as surgeons, I knew that I would have the satisfaction of operating either a primarily surgical or non-surgical practice.
Do you have any specific areas of interest?
My residency training at McLaren Oakland had a heavy focus on the biomechanics of the various deformities and injury patterns typically seen in our patient population. The result of this is my heightened interest in reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle. Following the completion of my residency training, I continued to expand my surgical portfolio and took a large interest in minimally invasive surgery and arthroscopic surgery of the foot and ankle.
Minimally invasive surgery provides the patient with the option for a smaller incision and in many cases, a quicker return to normal activity. In my experience in practice following residency, I saw that my patients had a very high satisfaction rate with minimally invasive surgery when compared to traditional open procedures.
Why did you choose to practice at McLaren Central Michigan?
As a native of Midland, I found myself unable to turn down the opportunity to return to Mid-Michigan and return to my roots. I am also extremely proud of the training I received at McLaren Oakland, and to be able to continue to work for McLaren at Central Michigan while giving back to my community felt like a dream come true.
What would you like your patients to know?
First and foremost, I’m very excited to begin treating patients in the Mount Pleasant area, and I consider it a blessing to be able to develop relationships with them based on respect, dignity and most importantly trust. I strive for a doctor-patient relationship where we come together to find a treatment plan through mutual understanding, achieved through patient education.
What interests do you have outside of medicine?
My faith is very important to me, and my other interests include weightlifting, waterskiing, golfing, home improvement, hunting, and of course, spending time with my beautiful wife, Denelle.
Dr. Lefler practices at McLaren Central Michigan (2940 Health Parkway in Mount Pleasant), and patients with conditions affecting the foot and ankle can make an appointment by calling (989) 772-8050.