West Bloomfield powerlifter sets records at Michigan Senior Olympics after successful surgery

When he blew out his shoulder two years ago, champion weightlifter Jeff Ellis needed a light touch and technique as much as a powerful move.

Enter Dr. Stephanie Muh.

The Henry Ford Hospital surgeon teamed up with Ellis in what the hospital described as a “cutting edge” procedure to help the West Bloomfield accountant repair and recover.

The result: Modern medicine by Muh and hard work by Ellis, 66, produced a rehabilitation so successful that Ellis won a gold medal and set a record in his age and weight class in the Michigan Senior Olympics.

For Ellis, successful surgery meant he could continue as a powerlifter.

“It’s been a passion of mine for many years,” he said, adding that he began lifting weights at 17 as a high school student in Southfield.

“It’s a way of life for me. Just like accounting.”

While Ellis credited Muh for her intense attention to his condition and her surgical skills, the doctor said his recovery was well-supported by his existing physical fitness and a willingness to work hard during rehabilitation.

“Mr. Ellis’ pre-surgery health status helped him recover faster than the average patient,” she said. “He had a fantastic outcome

and was a model patient.”

For Ellis, the initial injury was alarming.

He’d had his share of strains and tears over the years, but this time it was different. The injury during a workout was accompanied by a noticeable “pop” and a sudden loss of strength in his shoulder.

Doctors quickly determined his rotator cuff had been seriously damaged. But, unlike more routine injuries caused when muscles are torn from the bone, his shoulder also was severely punctured by a bone spur that ripped through his rotator cuff.

“I felt a dull pain in the shoulder and lost all strength on the right side,” Ellis said.

His primary care physician and physical therapist recommended he see Muh, an orthopedic surgeon known for her operating room abilities and careful attention to patients’ physical and emotional needs during recovery.

Treating Ellis meant not only repairing the tear, but addressing the wound.

“Given Jeff’s lifestyle and activity level, we wanted to get him into surgery as quickly as possible to give him the best chance of a full recovery,” Muh said in a recent hospital newsletter. “In addition to repairing the tear, I used a bio-inductive patch to promote better healing. It’s designed to stimulate collagen growth and reduce the risk of re-tear — especially important in active patients like Jeff.”

Post-surgery, Ellis brought the same focus to physical therapy that he deployed as a powerlifter. His past success stood as a goal to be repeated — or eclipsed.

Prior to his injury, Ellis racked up a string of impressive achievements. Among those:

• First place in the age 55-59 pound division in the American Amateur Powerlifting Federation national meet in 2018 — where he lifted 275 pounds

• Setting Michigan Senior Olympics records in the 50-54, 55-59 and 60-64 age groups

• Named to the Michigan Senior Olympics Hall of Fame this year. He is the only weightlifter to be inducted.

After his devastating shoulder injury in November 2023 and surgery performed by Muh, Ellis began physical therapy six days later at Henry Ford’s West Bloomfield Hospital. “I live in the shadow of the hospital,” Ellis said, noting that the convenience aligned with his motivation.

By March 2024, he was winning gold again, placing first and setting a record in his age and weight class at the Michigan Senior Olympics.

Muh, a Florida transplant who said she prefers the change of seasons provided in Michigan, lauded Ellis for his determination in making an award-winning comeback. Getting early treatment and arriving in excellent physical condition boosted his recovery, she said.

“The longer you wait, the blood supply pulls away,” she said. Prompt attention, she said, greatly improves the chances for healing.