After the awful news broke yesterday that golf legend Tiger Woods was pulled from a car accident via the “jaws of life,” and rushed to the hospital with “moderate to critical” injuries, we really didn’t know what to expect.
The good news is that Tiger is awake and recovering following emergency surgery to repair multiple fractures in, both his upper and lower legs.
The bad news is that he might never play golf again… and may even struggle to walk again.
According to a new statement from his team, and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anish Mahajan:
“Mr. Woods suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopedic trauma specialists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center.
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 to 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 required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling.”
I’m not a doctor, but it sounds like Tiger’s legs were a whole bunch of pieces, including compound fractures that broke the skin, and doctors worked to piece them all back together with a combination of rods, pins and screws.
According to CNN, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva added that it “nothing short of a miracle” that Woods was even alive and that he’s seen “accidents with far less obvious (damage) that are fatalities.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who responded to the crash, said that Tiger was awake when he arrived on scene, and although it was earlier reported that the “jaws of life” were used to free him from the wreck, firefighters actually used a pry bar and an ax to break the windshield and remove the seats and metal from around Woods.
Woods is believed to have been driving at a high rate of speed around a downhill curve that is known for car accidents.
Fellow golfers, athletes, celebrities and even former President Obama have offered words of support.
