Gluteus Maximus Transfer Surgery - need surgeon recommendation please

Hello Ennaoj44: To answer your question: I was in a bad accident in 2017*(see below) but the doctors refused to give me an MRI until July 2024. The MRI said: "full width (anterior to posterior) gluteus medius tendon tear, with approx 1.5 cm tendon stump retraction. Large amount of fluid and edema overlying the greater trochanter." When the 1st surgeon saw the MRI, he said, "I CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THIS!, You hve to see a specialist " He sent me to a "worldclass surgeon in his practice. I waited 4 months. When I saw Dr. Laskowski at the Crystal Clinic who is a world class surgeon he said, "I CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THIS! It's got complete fatty atrophy and completey unrepairable. I could do a surgery to help with pain, but not function." He said, "I've never had any suceess with this surgery and don't do it anymore. It takes very highly specialized training to do correctly." In Sept 2024, He refered me to Dr. Atul Kamath Dir. of hip Preservation of Clev. Clinic. However, he was not taking patients because he was leaving the Cleveland clinic to go into a private outpatient surgery practice in Mayfield Heights Cleveland. Life got in the way, so I cannot have surgery until 2026. And I am also looking at other ssurgeons who might be candidates for my surgery.

You said that you are on the EAST COAST. I don't know where but here's some info that might be of interest:
YOUTUBE video I found online by NY Longone with Thomas Youm MD performing Glut max transfer surgery. There's a video link at the bottom of a surgery gl transf surgery he did & stats.

I also found another Dr. at the HSS speciality Ortho hospital in Brooklyn that I have yet to make an apt w/ He's on my VERY short list: Benedict Nwachukwu, MD, MBA Sports Medicine and Hip Preservation Surgeon. Video link at the end.

I was a profession alpine ski coach, instructor & cyclist, active hiker & backpacker, but also had a corporate job. In July 2017 at the age of 62, I was in a freak accident crossing a disrepaired cobblestone street late at night. I had multiple crushed & broken bones in my foot, ankle, leg, tendons torn out of the bones, torn nerves, torn shoulder, & traumatic brain injury. No one noticed my hip until I started walking again which took several years. Two states, 5 hospital systems & othro practices and 10 drs later, it took a humble PA in 2024 to say, "maybe we should take an MRI of your hip to see what's going on." I'd been begging Drs to take an MRI but they kept saying I had pain & limped bc of all my leg injuries. I've been in horrific pain & not responded to injections or PT.

I moved to Cleveland the end of 2021, Dr. Kamath in Cleveland felt I had a 90% chance of recovery if he did the surgery. But that's on the back burner since Im' traveling to Hong Kong in Sept. Post Surgergy he said: 2-3 months non-weight bearing & 1 year pt for full recovery. I am now 71. Female. I thought I'd be skiing & hiking into my 80's. I still can't ride bike & I I walk with cuff crutches or a rollator walker since 2017. I've been on 100% disabiltiy with ortho injuries & PTSD since July 17, 2017.

Please let me know about your team at Rush. I'm actively searching for the best team for my future surgery and recovery. I'll need to go to a nuring rehab somewhere since my only family is working in Hong Kong. 🙂

I'm surprised that no one at the Mayo clinic seems to do Gl transfers. Th ey are rated #1 in the country for orthopedic and have this wonderful forum but apparently no help to either of us finding a surgeon at Mayo ??

You will need to cut and paste all these links - orthopedic educational videos on glute max transfer surgery and the surgeons.

Dr. Kamath in Cleveland: https://www.kamathorthopedics.com/about-5video:https://www.kamathorthopedics.com/services-2

Long Island Hospital : Educational Surgical video NY Longone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zoevVUt-0w

Brooklyn Hospital HSS specialty Orthopedic Benedict Nwachukwu:
https://www.hss.edu/profiles/doctors/benedict-nwachukwu
Good luck. Please let me know how you are in your journey to wellness.

PS. ennaoj44. Dr Kamath in Cleveland is now doing surgery both at 2 locations of University hospital and at his out patient surgery clinic. They've gone to a new phone system that has some bugs in it. I don't know if he does virtual visits if you sent him your MRI. Your could send a fax @ 216 450-1810 to Brittany to see. He told me he wouldn't do surgery unless he felt it would be 75-80% successful and my memory might be LOW on that number. He trai

Thank you. You are being very helpful. I will research your shared sites. What is important to know is just how many successful gl maximus transfers a surgeon has performed. It's a question that needs to be asked. I'll be back to you later. I do think that a national blog ought to be established and readily available. This is a surgical option that is not widely discussed and/or offered. And I am amazed at the number of patients who experience gl tears and the limited amount of treatment centers/surgeons available. I would suggest that if a patient has been treated for bursitis and there is no relief over a reasonable time period then an MRI is mandatory. Because the diagnosis more times than not is a gluteus tear. The health sections of large newspapers need to alert patients with a bursitis diagnosis that maybe just maybe the diagnosis is not bursitis but a full-thickness gluteus medius tear with fatty infiltration and atrophy.....

The youtube video shares stats about the mistaken bursitis vs glut tears & discusses that it can ONLY be DX by MRI & that most ortho drs do NOT want to do the MRI. As my PT said, why bother doing an MRI, wasting $1,000 when we know conservative treatment can help 80% of the time. New research is finding out this is NOT TRUE- people are wasting time with gl tears that only get worse. Plus, most ortho drs are NOT trained in proper surgery repair technique. Most money is made & most injury is done in broken bones, Joint replacement & shoulder rotator cuff. Very little focus has been on hip glute tears outside of ski & sports medicine. If one is NOT an active member of professional, collegiate or olympic team, we are ignored. Most orthopedic drs who do this procedure do not advertise it as their primary procedure. It's like finding a needle in a haystack. Please keep me posted. May I ask your age, gender and injury status. thanks

hi Joe, thanks for your comment 🙂 There's no other Docs at Cleveland Clinic who can do this surgery. Actually there are very few docs in the country who can do this surgery or do it well. He's now got an outpatient surgery clinic but I have an allergy to general anesthesia and his surgery center refused to take me as a patient because of the risk. They said I need to have surgery in a hospital. I'm going out of the country for a family wedding so this is on the back burner for now. I'm going to relax for a bit. Thanks for your good wishes Joe.

hello again Rap2016. thank you for the referral of Dr. Cecillia Pascual-Garrido and Jewish Hospital. May I please confirm your surgery dates. Your message says you had a gluteus Maximus transfer in 2020, felt better, but then had balance problems. Had Gluteus Medius & Minimus seperation and surgery in 2021. Did Dr. Pascual_Garrido do both surgeries? I'm facing these surgeries & trying to understand all the complications and set backs. I'm so sorry to ask. I'm glad you are now in a study. I hope they can give you some relief. I was in a research study 2 years ago for something else. If you could let me know, I'd appreciate it. Continued good luck.

here's another name rep2016 from this forum gave me. They had a gl max trans in 2020, but has had complications, gl med & minus separated & repaired and now L 3-4, & L4-5 have several meters pinched. They were just placed in a research study about gl max transfer. Here' s a surgeon's name. https://www.ortho.wustl.edu/content/Patient-Care/7001/Find-a-Physician/Physician-Directory/Cecilia-Pascual-Garrido-MD-PhD/Bio.aspx

I apologize, I was reading comments in reverse order. Are you moving ahead w/ surgery w/ Dr. Burnett? Yes, it is very tricky surgery. Rap2016 below volunteered for a research study at BJC hospital on the success & failure of gl trf surgery after they had complications. I have postponed my surgery until 2026- still interviewing Drs & going to visit my son overseas while I can still travel. TY. I'll share whatever I find in my surgeon search.

Thanks Pam,

I didn't know about this condition until you posted here. I'm so sorry about solution/surgeon is so hard to find. And I haven't heard about allergies to general anesthesia. Bummer.

Sounds like you have a nice getaway planned. You certainly deserve it and please have a great time.

All the best.

Joe

Gluteus Minimus/ medius repair July 2021 Dr. John Clohisy
Gluteus Maximus transfer July 2022 Dr. Pascual Garrido

Repair L3-4 & L4-5 July 2024 Dr. John Clohisy jr. (son focusses on spine )