The following is from a Google Review, posted by Dr. Ramkumar’s Patient:

 

The Injury That Changed My Life

I am a single resident of Hawaii who was injured one night when I tripped on a very deeply recessed manhole cover and threw my leg forward to prevent hitting the asphalt. I could not drive to obtain medical help for many days. Eventually, I visited an orthopedic surgeon who prescribed physical therapy which did not help.

Years of Misdiagnosis and Frustration

Next, I saw a renowned doctor, took his required Xray and he recommended a spinal fusion. I became speechless and so upset when I saw it was another patient’s Xray he was looking at, so I quietly left.

I went to a Pain Management physician for two unsuccessful spine injection treatments, so he then recommended laser burning my nerves. I wanted to know the source of my pain rather than managing it or disguising it. I visited a doctor in Hawaii’s largest rehab hospital and requested an MRI. At the follow-up, he stated there was nothing found but months later I obtained the written report where the radiologist wrote of a torn labrum.

Leaving Hawaii to Search for a Specialist

My medical insurance company assigned a Complex Case Manager who suggested I “Find a specialist on the mainland as I have already seen the best in Hawaii without results.” I had taken so many images and seen almost every rated doctor in Hawaii.

My research resulted in a visit to Cleveland Clinic Ohio. Their diagnosis was a detached muscle and recommended physical therapy which proved useless, so I began my search again. My spreadsheet of renowned Orthopedic Doctors became several pages long from the West Coast to the East Coast. During my quest for a diagnosis, I had taken so many X-rays, CT scans, several MRIs, a PRP procedure, and an EMG test. I carried a stack of image CDs about two inches tall in my travels.

In addition to the local Hawaii doctors, I’ve visited doctors at USC, UCLA, UCSF in California, Cedars Sinai, two in Boulder CO, three at Cleveland Clinic, 2 in Alabama Birmingham, two in Tampa Bay, three in Virginia, Boston, Baltimore, Washington, Duke Health, a hip specialist at Houston Methodist, George Washington Health, a Dr. Marcus of New York and more. I also forwarded copies of my CDs to the Mayo Clinic for their review and their phone reply was “You are not a candidate for a hip replacement” however, I never asked for a hip replacement. I suffered with the pain and misery of living with a couple of suitcases searching and searching for a diagnosis.

Many Guesses Resulted in No Clear Answers

My comment on those I have seen is that they were all GUESSING and NOT SURE. I heard diagnosis like try a Hip Replacement, Spine Fusion, Labral tear repair, Lasering my nerves and “just live without intervention,” a reflected spine pain and more steroid shots.

Finally Finding the Right Doctor

I changed my internet search to “Hip Muscle Injuries” and I noticed one site that interested me. This site is where you are now. It was for Dr. Prem Ramkumar in Long Beach CA. I made my appointment, booked another hotel and flight from Virginia to Long Beach California. At my office exam it was different, I sensed his confidence. He suggested an MRI, so I offered my old CD image discs. After he sorted through them, a disc was selected, and he showed and explained my hip muscle injury. Keep in mind, he is using a disc I have been carrying with me for years! After explaining his findings, I gave my approval to proceed with the surgery to repair my hip muscle. Refusing not to give up searching was the right decision.

The Six-figure Cost of Searching for Treatment

All the years of searching, booking flights, finding hotels and meals, my expenses surpassed $300K and are still increasing. I’ve spent retirement funds and my life insurance but finally found my doctor. If you are experiencing a life like mine, visit this doctor to experience the confidence and trust I’m experiencing. He is different.

Recovery and Hope

I have returned home to Hawaii and am still healing and learning from physical therapy while using my walker, hip brace, and cane. I will be returning for my 6th-month check-up.

I hope my past history helps you with selecting a doctor to help you. I made my choice.

Aloha,

Ron

Case Notes from Dr. Prem Ramkumar:

Ron had a hip abductor tendon tear. A hip abductor tendon tear is a partial or complete tear of the muscles that move the hip away from the body. The hip muscles are located in the area of the buttocks and include the gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus as well as the tensor fascia lata. Hip abductor tendon tears can be quite painful and are often misdiagnosed initially as lower back pain. Check out this article about misdiagnosis when it comes to back or hip pain:

Studies suggest 20% of Hip Pain Cases May Initially be Diagnosed as Lumbar Back Condition