Prof. Rimtautas Gudas

Areas of Expertise: Arthroscopic surgeries of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle; arthroscopic reconstructions of anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments of the knee; fully arthroscopic cartilage restoration surgeries; meniscus repairs, implants, and transplants; reconstructions for acute and chronic shoulder instability; posterior shoulder instability reconstructions; rotator cuff repairs and reconstructions; stabilization of distal clavicle dislocations; tibial and femoral osteotomies with leg axis corrections for knee osteoarthritis treatment, and more.

 

Specialization: Arthroscopic surgery of the knee and shoulder, sports medicine.

 

Work and Education

• Over 25 years of experience;
• Successfully performed over 15,000 various arthroscopic reconstructive surgeries;
• 1996: Graduated from Kaunas University of Medicine with a medical degree;
• 1996: Completed primary residency at Vilkaviškis Central Hospital;
• 1997: Entered secondary residency in orthopedics and traumatology at the Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic of Kaunas University of Medicine, with training at Kaunas Red Cross Hospital, Lund University in Sweden, Karolinska Institute (Sweden), and Kaunas University Clinics;
• 2003: Completed residency and obtained a specialization in orthopedics and traumatology;
• 2003: Defended dissertation on “Comparison of Surgical Treatment Outcomes for Cartilage Damage”;
• Since 2006: International instructor in arthroscopic and sports surgery courses;
• Since 2007: Physician for the Lithuanian National Men’s Basketball Team and Kaunas “Žalgiris” Basketball Team, consultant in sports medicine and traumatology;
• Since 2014: Orthopedic trauma surgeon at “Gijos Clinics”.

 

Currently: Physician for the Lithuanian National Men’s Basketball Team and Kaunas “Žalgiris” Basketball Team.

 

Internships

• Lund University, Sweden
• Karolinska Institute Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic, Sweden
• Capio Sports Medicine and Traumatology Clinic, Sweden
• Lyon Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic, France
• Rome Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic, Italy
• Budapest Traumatology Clinic, Hungary
• Orthopedics, Traumatology, and Sports Medicine Clinics in the USA
• Munich Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Clinic, Germany
• The Hague and Amsterdam Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Clinics, Netherlands
• Annecy Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Clinic, France

 

Membership in Professional Organizations

• 2003 – 2008: President of the Lithuanian Arthroscopic Surgeons Association
• Member of the Lithuanian Arthroscopic Surgeons Association
• Committee member of the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery, and Arthroscopy (ESSKA)
• Member of the International Society for Osteoarthritis Research (OARSI)
• Member of the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS)
• Member of the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery, and Orthopedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS)
• Member of the Lithuanian Orthopedic Traumatologists Association and committee
• Member of the Kaunas Region Orthopedic Traumatologists Association and committee
• Since 2006: International instructor in arthroscopic and sports surgery courses
• Since 2007: Physician for the Lithuanian National Men’s Basketball Team and sports teams consultant in sports medicine and traumatology

 

Project Participation

• 1999 – 2003: Evaluation of surgical treatment outcomes for cartilage injuries using mosaicplasty in athletes
• 2005 – 2009: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using donor grafts in athletes
• 2007 – 2009: Evaluation of surgical treatment outcomes for cartilage injuries using microfracture and debridement procedures in physically active individuals
• 2007 – 2009: Arthroscopic acromioplasty and bursectomy for shoulder impingement
• 2006 – 2010: Evaluation of surgical treatment outcomes for cartilage injuries using autologous chondrocyte implantation in athletes
• 2008 – 2010: Evaluation of surgical outcomes for anterior cruciate ligament injuries with and without cartilage damage in physically active individuals
• 2009 – 2012: Development of autologous chondrocyte collection, multiplication, cultivation, and implantation in Lithuania
• 2010 – 2013: Effectiveness of different rehabilitation regimes in anterior cruciate ligament treatment (joint project with LKKA)
• 2018 – 2023: Cartilage restoration using autologous chondrocytes and multilayer membrane
• Since 2019: Ambassador for knee ligament injury prevention project.