'It Is Possible That (Tiger) Comes Back To Playing Golf...In 2022': Orthopedic Surgeon Describes Tiger Woods' Major Injury And Shares His Opinion On Whether He'll Be Able To Play Golf Again

‘It Is Possible That Tiger Comes Back To Playing Golf…In 2022′: Orthopedic Surgeon Describes Tiger Woods’ Major Injury

‘It Is Possible That Tiger Comes Back To Playing Golf…In 2022′: Orthopedic Surgeon Describes Tiger Woods’ Major Injury

Thankfully, Tiger Woods is recovering after what was a scary moment on Tuesday as people were praying, hoping, and waiting to hear how Woods was doing after a horrible car crash.

The highlight and most important part of the statement released by Tiger Woods Ventures on Twitter was that he was “currently awake, responsive, and recovering in his hospital room.” That right there is a blessing and answered prayer within itself, that he was able to survive the crash.

In regards to the injuries Woods sustained from the accident, At The Buzzer previously reported the chief medical officer and interim CEO of the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center gave an update on Tuesday night regarding Woods’ injury via the Tiger Woods Ventures statement.

“Mr. Woods suffered significant orthopaedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopaedic trauma specialists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center,” Dr. Anish Mahajan, MD, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center chief medical officer & interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, said. “Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia. Additional injuries the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins. Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg requried surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling.”

Now, with the knowledge of Tiger being awake and responsive, the focus now turns towards just a healthy recovery.

And how about a “sand art tribute at St. Andrews (as) a caddie and artist created an amazing tribute to Tiger Woods in the sands” according to ESPN.

Golf fans then may turn to wonder if one of the greatest golfers in the history of the game will be able to get back to the golf course and play another tournament.

Looking ahead, it’s all pure speculation at this point as he still has yet another major roadblock ahead of him with another injury.

But, it’s possible.

“It is possible that he comes back to playing golf,” Dr. Parekh said.

A Duke Ortho surgeon broke down Tiger’s injury in a video on YouTube and talked about what he thinks about him eventually returning back to golf.

“The ability to return to golf, who knows,” Dr. Selene Parekh, Duke Ortho surgeon and Fantasy Doctors co-owner, said. “I mean, Tiger has shown us before that he beats the odds. Alex Smith has shown us that you can go to the brink of death with sepsis and come back and play football. So, I never question athletes because these guys are amazing specimens.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcrgnCE8Tlk&t=0s

“It is possible that he comes back to playing golf,” Dr. Parekh said. “Certainly not this year but some time in 2022. But…it’s going to be a wait and see. He’s got a lot of hurdles between now and then.”

Another doctor who specializes in sports orthopedic surgery talked to People about Woods’ injury and said he’s “very, very fortunate.”

“This is a very, very severe injury,” Dr. Kirk A. Campbell, sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Langone Health, told People. “Not only are the bones broken, but they came through the skin, which places one at a high risk of infection..Based on reports, it sounded like an isolated orthopedic injury, so overall he’s very, very fortunate.”

Dr. Campbell also talked to People about what Woods’ recovery process could look like.

“He’s going to initially have to get back to the basics of walking, building up strength, and then as he continues on that recovery process, if he chooses to get back to golf, he’ll have to see if his body will tolerate the high stresses involved with a golf swing, and the overall level required to get back to playing golf and his type of championship-level golf…bones typically heal — it’s everything else that will determine his overall recovery,” Dr. Campbell said to People.

About At The Buzzer

At The Buzzer, or ATB is the place for those who love sports, life, family, community, and so much more. We are far from the run-of-the-mill 24/7 sports news websites. We not only bring you what’s happening in the world of sports in terms of trades and breaking news, but we also bring you the news that goes on behind the scenes, like big life moments, and so much more. So take a minute and read one of our articles, we promise you won't regret it.