Transferring from Mayo Clinic to Warsaw

Hey there! So, I’m 20 years old and I’ve gone and messed up my knee. I went to see some doctors in Indianapolis, and they told me surgery is likely the only way out of this mess. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the Hospital for Special Surgery, though, so I’m really hoping to transfer my care over there. I just want to be fully prepared and get this sorted out as quickly as humanly possible, which is why I'm hunting for any info I can find. What’s the actual process for transferring my case? Do I need to have all my imaging and scans ready for that very first appointment? If so, can my primary care doctor just write me a referral for those, or is it more complicated than that? And honestly, how old can those scans be before they're basically useless?

To give you some context on why I'm being so cautious—when I first went to get my knee looked at in Indianapolis, it was a total circus. My GP sent me straight to orthopedics, only for them to send me packing because I didn't have any scans ready. Then they sent me to a clinic near the local military base, then off to physical therapy, and it wasn't until *after* the PT session that anyone actually remembered I needed imaging done in the first place... I am absolutely determined not to repeat that ridiculous loop and waste even more time.

So, seriously, please throw any information my way! Thanks a bunch 🙂

Honestly, you don't need to worry about any transfers. If you have your X-rays, MRI, and all your other results from the orthopedic specialist and therapy, just take them to an orthopedist in El Paso. Once you book your appointment, that’s it. If the doctor there recommends surgery, you simply coordinate a date and complete whatever necessary pre-op testing is required. If they suggest physical therapy instead, you just head to rehab and follow up whenever they tell you to.
I had knee surgery at the Mayo Clinic, and afterward, I went back for follow-ups in El Paso and San Diego. I believe if Dr. Alexandria is still practicing, he is absolutely wonderful.

My experience was a bit different: I first went to the ER, then to an orthopedist. He requested an X-ray, though he already had my hospital scans on hand. I started physical therapy for a month in a local clinic, and while things seemed to improve initially, my knee eventually locked up. I couldn't move at all all night; I was in so much pain I was screaming. The next day, I rushed to the hospital for an ultrasound, which finally pinpointed the issue—the very thing that should have been addressed urgently when I first arrived at the ER. After the doctor reviewed my scans (which were all done at the Mayo Clinic), I saw a different orthopedist with all my updated records. We scheduled the surgery immediately. After finishing my pre-op tests—including heart imaging, lung scans, repeat knee scans, blood work, and meeting the anesthesiologist—I was in surgery within a week. Two days later, I was transferred to a rehab center for recovery, where I spent a month and a half bedridden, followed by another month of outpatient therapy. Dr. Zelich was my surgeon.
Later on, I sought out second opinions (from Dr. Alexandria in El Paso and Dr. Nemec in San Diego), but unfortunately, it wasn't possible to continue playing professional volleyball, so I had to hang up my jersey. I actually tried training for a year while dealing with the pain before deciding to get those second opinions.

Your primary doctor can write a referral for an orthopedic consultation and even for an X-ray (though I'm not sure how long the wait is for a knee X-ray) without needing a specialist's recommendation. However, you will definitely need a specialist's referral for an ultrasound or an MRI. Usually, the wait for an MRI is several months, so I personally prefer going to a private clinic for mine.