Doctors treating golf legend, Tiger Woods, have given details of the injury he sustained in the motor crash he was involved in.
There are speculations that the injuries may have put paid to his iconic career.
He underwent a lengthy emergency surgery on his lower right leg and ankle at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, the statement said.
The leg fractures were “comminuted,” meaning the bone was broken into more than two parts, and “open,” meaning the broken bone was exposed to open air, creating risk of an infection, Chief Medical Officer Dr Anish Mahajan said in the statement.
Orthopedic trauma specialists inserted a rod into his tibia to stabilise both the tibia and fibula bones, stabilised the foot and ankle bones with a combination of screws and pins, and relieved pressure to the muscle and soft-tissue of his leg by surgically releasing the covering of the muscle, Dr Mahajan said.
The decision to surgically release the covering of the muscle suggests Woods may have been at risk of “compartment syndrome,” an issue common after crush injuries when pressure builds up to such a dangerous level that it can cut off blood flow.
Having seen the damage at the crash site, Mr Villanueva said it was “nothing short of a miracle” that Woods was alive. Woods was wearing a seat belt, which may have saved his life.
“We have seen accidents with far less obvious (damage) that are fatalities,” Mr Villanueva told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Tuesday.
