ATLANTA — The road to recovery begins for champion golfer Tiger Woods, after he was involved in a serious rollover accident in California, Tuesday.
Doctors said Woods had to undergo major surgery, after sustaining major injuries to both legs. His surgeon, Dr. Anish Mahajan, said in a statement that Woods shattered the tibia and fibula bones of his lower right leg in multiple locations. Those injuries were stabilized with a rod in the tibia. Additional injuries to the bones in the foot and ankle required screws and pins.
Now, many in the sports world are wondering how - and if - the golf great will recover to play again. For Dr. Jon Hyman, M.D., one of the top orthopedic surgeons in the country, Woods' fate may not be entirely sealed.
“With elite athletes like this, you never want to count them out,” Hyman told 11Alive Sports' Maria Martin.
Several of Woods' peers are also optimistic.
“From everything that I know about Tiger, I’m sure he will recover,” said PGA TOUR golfer Bryson Dechambeau.
Hyman practices in Atlanta. He’s a former orthopedist for the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Hawks, and Atlanta Thrashers. He helped explain the severity of Tiger’s injuries.
“The recovery is going to be long, we know that," he said "But, the extent of what happens in the next 48 to 72 hours - with the muscle and the soft tissues in particular - that’s really going to be what ultimately sets the stage for the rehabilitation that’s coming."
In the statement released by Woods' foundation, they said he suffered "comminuted open fractures."
“This is a bone of the tibia, which is one of the bones that was broken in his injury," Hyman explained. "When the bone breaks, the edge of the bone is sharp. When the bone cracks, a piece can poke through the skin."
After having his fifth back surgery this past December, Woods’ back was always a concern when it came to his future with golf. What about his lower extremities, now, after the accident? Hyman said it's "far too early to predict."
"I will tell you that pivoting and twisting on the ankle and the knee, and rotation on the leg is a big deal," he said.
"Some athletes have been able to come back, Hyman said, offering Alex Smith - who came back as a quarterback in the NFL - as an example.
"I don’t think that, in and of itself, these injuries on paper will preclude his ability to play golf," Hyman predicted. "But, playing at the high level he plays at is difficult, even in the best circumstances. So, I think there will be a challenge there."
"Based upon what he’s done so far, I wouldn’t put it past him to be able to come back,” Hyman said.
Material from the Associated Press contributed to this report.