Hip Labral Tear surgeon in the Boston area?

I'm fully aware of that. The recovery for the FAI surgery is definitely more extensive. I believe it's about a 12-16wk recovery window... Now if you're getting a labral repair done, complete with anchors, recovery for that can take seemingly forever. (Had a friend who got the anchors a year ago and still can't really run.) It's STILL worth it though. Labral tear pain is the worst.

I Had a small LT which the MRI Arthrogram proved and opted for not having the surgery. I took 11 months off and am now back to running since July and up to 30 mpw (4 days, 3-7's, 1-9) with no pain. Was doing 60-70 mpw pre-injury. I Continue to very slowly increase mileage and intensity and monitor things as I go. I'm 53.

OK since this was my original thread, I will update. I had surgery at Newton-Wellesley hospital with Dr. McCarthy at the end of July. It really was a piece of cake compared to all the horror stories I have heard(I did not have FAI-which is the real tricky stuff). I felt great post-surgery and was off crutches quickly. I started running less than one month after the surgery and had run up to 8 miles in the first two months-may not have been the best idea, but it didn't harm anthing. I did not have any PT at that point except just a few exercises to do post-surgery and was told to do what I felt comfortable doing. I was even told I could try light jogging before I actually did.

So for me the surgery went very well. I had a big tear and a synovial impingement that was debrided. My problem is that I had been compensating for the bad hip for about 25 years of running and my body is really messed up biomechanically. I asked for PT a couple months post-surgery just to make sure I was doing things correctly(which I had until last week) and it wasn't so much my hip that needed the work but other muscles up and down the leg. I have also seen top notch doctors to get their opinions on my funky stride. I keep hearing that I have to rewire my brain to change my running patterns, but was not getting told how to do that.

I am learning to slow down to change things rather than rush into higher mileage. The best thing I have found so far relates to something called somatics. I found this link:

http://essentialsomatics.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/labral-tears-surgery-or-not/

one month prior to my surgery and an overseas trip. It kept me out of discomfort for the whole trip (best I felt in years) and now I am starting up using somatics again to retrain my brain how to move properly-that and some trigger point injections into my glute medius have started the process of evening out my running stride.

Of course, I had developed compensations over many years trying to run with my hip. If you had a sudden tear and were to get surgery I can't see why recovery wouldn't be difficult if you have a good surgeon. The FAI is much more tricky from all that I have read and gives you a longer and less sure recovery!

Helpful discussion...

Re: Bryan Kelly. Actually there are plenty of people who've had bad experiences with him If you search the FAI board on Yahoo, you can read about it.

See dr phillipone in vail co

Thank you for saying Labral tear pain is the WORST. My labrum tore during my first pregnancy at 8.5 months because of the added friction in my hips. I've been in constant pain since then (about 10 years.)

I saw a doctor about my pain (5 years ago) and he verified the torn labrum but said that since my pain is in my SI joint it may not be due to the labrum. EVEN THOUGH the major two symptoms were "clicking" (ie impingement) in my hip and PAIN. (also, at the time it was a new surgery)

I've seen 5 PTs and 3 chiropractors and no one has been able to determine the cause of my S-I joint pain. I'm starting to believe that I'm essentially walking funny because of the labral tear and that it's causing pain in my hip and SI joint. I'm currently running 4 miles at a time with a lot of soft tissue soreness afterwards but I'd like to see some hope that the pain might stop someday.

Thank you for all of your suggestions.

Hello,

I went through the pain and suffeing of hip/leg pain while living in Arizona- not much help with Dr's there. When I moved back to the Boston area I was sent to New England Baptist- Dr McCarthy in 2004. Dr McCarthy and staff were great. I was diagnosed and actually saw the torn labrum during the radioactive dye injection procedure that Dr McCarthy developed. I did go through the surgical procedure. at NE Baptist Hospital.

At that time my weight was high, 240 lbs- could not execercise. I was suffering from sleep apnea and severe leg pains when the labrum tore.

After the surgery, I was able to get back into an active lifestlye. My weight dropped back under 200 lbs. I got active in riding the Pan Mass Challenge bicycle fundraiser for Dana Farber Cancer Research. I am now getting ready to run in the Boston Marathon on April 16th- one month before turning 50 years young (good training run for the Pan Mass Challenge in August.

What can I say :)

Does anyone in the Boston/south shore area have experience with South Shore Orthopedics (affiliated with South shore hospital) or Dr. Geary?

Living in Boston area w/ so many good doctors it's hard to determine who's the best.

I have read everyones posts and i hope i can add a little information on doctors. I have horrible hips since i have ehlors danlos. I am only 25 and have several cortisone injections as well as three surgeries with three different doctors where i currently sit with no fix or any evident information on where to go next. My first surgery was done with dr gearu from south shore orthopedics. Worst experience ever. I have a bad hip popping issue along with pain. After surgery i saw doctor geary for follow ups and let him know everytime that i had no change or relief prior to surgery. Months and months of therapy which he said would fix the issue, we left our last appointment with him telling me to go see someone else because he didnt know what to tell me. I then saw dr kocher who fixed the labrum tear again which is most likely why my pain continued and dr geary refused to believe the pain was there. I had some relief but the popping continued but the pain had reduced some. 6 months after i regained the pain and again we dont know what to tell you. Pursistant not to live in this much pain i saw dr wilke at lehey. He ended up cutting my snapping tendon. Fixed me for once. Then 4 months after the pain returned. Needless to say im once again leaving a surgeon stumped on what to do. All in all id recomend dr wilke as well as kocher but id rather cut my leg off before ever aetting foot again in dr gearys office again. I agree i am a harder case but id still recomend those two doctors. Hope this helps. Sarah

Would you mind mentioning the names of the Dr.'s you saw to help with your running stride? I have all sorts of pains when I run and I know they all stem from incorrect form.

Thanks!

Man you tear that labia and you're in a world of trouble.

I would second BT Kelly...great surgeon who did work at University of Pittsburgh...he studied indervWilliam Byrd (Nashville) who is viewed as the guy for labral tears. I did notice that Dr. Ansis published a bunch with Kelly, so he may be a great place to start if looking for somebody locally...

]bfullem wrote:

Go to NYC and see Dr Bryan Kelley. When Mike Lowell was with the Red Sox, he had Dr Kelley do his hip.

He is located at Hospital for Special Surgery[/quote]

Brian D. Busconi is awesome for hips. I'm a PT and a runner and also have a labral tear in my right hip. Rehab wont help much, it most likely needs to be repaired.

Good luck.

I do not see Alfred Hanmer's name anywhere (Newton-Wellesley) - anyone had any experience with him?

HI TDF, curious what you chose to do 2 years later now? Im 48yo male runner with torn labrum and FAI. Seen Martin and mccarthy. Niether will do Arthroscopy because OA is beginning stages. Mccarthy says full replacement necessary. Martin says joint is good - get corticosteroid injection and hopefully delay full replacemtn. Love to hear what you chose to do and if you have recommendations.

Labral tears don't heal by themselves bit they don't always cause pain either. Until other avenues are exhausted its best to assume the pain is coming from elsewhere, and adding stability to the hip area can take the pressure off of an otherwise distressed labrum...

I went to Martin for a labral tear and FAI (both cam and pincer) repair. I had surgery the beginning of Dec and recovery has been going ok but I will admit VERY slow! MArtin was the only dr I saw and to be honest I wish I had gotten a second opinion. I was just so happy to have found a reason for my pain that I wanted a quick fix. I will warn you all, Martin has little to no bedside manner. He also does not typically recommend physical therapy , which is very strange! The only explanation I can get from him is he thinks that PT people overdo and then your body attacks the anchors in the hip due to inflammation..? I can understand the overdo part but if he writes out a specific plan it should be okay. So now its been 8 weeks and I have finally be cleared to do the bike starting at 5 minutes and can go up to 30 minutes over the next two months. Its been extremely hard because I had no stretches or exercises or restrictions (except no high impact). I am a nurse and havent been able to work since I cannot walk for 12 hours on my feet. I tried to explain this to him that I need more structure and strengthening and he told me to be patient. Has anyone had experience with Martin and labral tears/FAI? - how has been rehabing, I feel so lost and am nervous I will not regain the same ROM and strength.

I am trying to find a doctor to operate on the hip tear I have after years of pain.I fell teaching aerobics on a hard floor in 1987.Had an MRI last year because I continue to get worse...and no one can figure out why? Mysterious case.I haven been through body braces,PT(several),orthopedics,physiatrist,chiropractors,etc.

To no avail!Finally with pudendal,alcoccyx,illiolingual nerve entrapment issues I was sure my spine was just falling out of my body.Gynecologist sent me for an MRI and guess what it is a Hip Labral Tear.

I have consistent pain in my groin,posterior of buttocks,sacrum,down side of my leg..can't hardly exercise anymore because it hurts to even walk..

Alright so pitiful me!

Help!I have seen a doctor here in NH that said don't let anyone operate on that tear ever!

Is there a doctor in Boston area that is recommended?

Thanks for your help..Dee

Awesome, Juan. Thanks so much for uploading this!It is about time to relive this race.