California State Hospital where Tiger Woods is hospitalized in a car accident
Bone fixed with surgical screws and pins
Illustration showing a comminuted fracture (center) and an open fracture (right)
‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods’ car rollover accident
‘Crushed open fracture’ joint surgery… Relieve blood vessel pressure with fascia incision
Prevention of skin infection is key… Possibility of skin and muscle transplant surgery
“I won’t be able to walk for 6 to 9 months only for bone junction and wound closure.”
(Los Angeles = Yonhap News) Correspondent Jung Yoon-seop = US’Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods received emergency surgery after suffering a serious injury to a leg in a car rollover accident.
American media such as CNN and the Los Angeles Times (LAT) introduced the details of the surgery that Woods had undergone over a long period of time on the 24th (local time) and predicted the future progress.
◇The leg bones protruding from the skin… ‘Crushed open fracture’ joint surgery
The surgery took place for a long time at the Harbor-Los Angeles University of California (UCLA) Medical Center, a first-class trauma treatment hospital on the 23rd.
The hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Anish Mahajan, said in a statement that “Comminuted open fractures” were found in Woods’ right leg.
‘Crushed fracture’ means that the bone has been shattered in several places, and’open fracture’ refers to the situation where the bone has come out of its position and torn the skin.
The medical staff inserted an iron core to fix the two long bones below the knee, the shin and calf.
In addition, the foot and ankle bone were stabilized with surgical screws and pins.
Screws are commonly used to join fractured bones, and pins are used to correct joints that may have been dislocated.
◇Relieve blood vessel pressure with fascia incision… Prevents skin necrosis and nerve damage
The medical staff revealed that Woods’ fascia was also incised to remove skin swelling.
Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency doctor at Brigham Hospital, said the surgery meant a muscle incision to aid circulation of blood and fluid.
This is a measure to prevent the swollen muscle tissue from pressing the blood vessels. This is the only way to prevent skin tissue necrosis and permanent nerve damage.
Dr. Faust explained, “Think of the fact that nothing can pass through when you press the straw flat. “Fasctomy is what keeps blood circulation going.”
He said that if the fascia had not been done quickly, the leg may have been amputated due to skin necrosis, and the medical staff evaluated the correct operation.
◇ Prevention of skin infection is key… To see if the instep joint is damaged
Experts contend that preventing infection is key, saying that’open fractures’ with bones protruding from the outside increase the risk of skin infection.
This is because if the skin and muscle tissue that covers the bone becomes infected, the meaning of suturing the bone disappears.
“Many people focus on bone fractures, but that’s only part of it,” said Dr. Kenneth Chung of the LA Cedars Sinai Hospital’s Affiliated Research Institute. “The skin and fascia are really very important. It becomes dangerous,” he said.
Dr. Jung pointed out that we should also watch for damage to the’Lisfranc joint’ in the middle of the instep.
He predicted that damage to Lisfranc’s joints would result in severe pain, and not only would make Woods’ life as a golf player difficult, but also his future life.
◇Long and long treatment path… Possibility of skin and muscle transplant surgery
Experts predict that Woods’ treatment process will take a significant amount of time, and that there is a possibility of further surgery in the future.
Dr. Gregory Tennant, an orthopedic surgeon at Kaiser Permanent Hospital, predicts that bone bonding and wound closure will take 6 to 9 months, and then the recovery phase of physical therapy and rehabilitation can be entered.
Dr. Tennant predicted that “Woods will not be able to walk for a while.”
In addition, experts diagnosed that there could be additional fascia incisions, which require lowering blood vessel pressure, and skin and muscle graft surgery.
“The increased risk of infection means that the bones are more likely to not heal within normal time,” said Dr. Scott Borden, an orthopedic surgeon at Emory Medical School.
Experts have been cautious about Woods’ possible recovery.
Dr Faust said that the actual recovery process begins only after the skin graft is performed, and that Woods’ situation has not yet reached it.
“It’s a crushed open fracture that makes it harder to treat Woods,” said Dr. Borden. “However, elite athletes like Woods have the potential to return as much as anyone else.”
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