Tiger Woods moved to new hospital to continue recovery

Tiger Woods was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to continue his recovery from leg injuries suffered in a Tuesday car crash.

Woods was moved from Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he was taken after he was extracted from his car following the single-vehicle wreck close to the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

The move was made “for continuing orthopedic care and recovery,” according to a statement from Dr. Anish Mahajan, the chief medical officer and interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. 

“On behalf of our staff, it was an honor to provide orthopedic trauma care to one of our generation’s greatest athletes.”

ESPN reported Thursday that the 21-mile transfer between hospitals occurred Wednesday night.

Woods underwent surgery Tuesday on his right leg, in which “upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia,” according to a Tuesday statement from Mahajan.

The statement added, “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.”

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced Wednesday that Woods wouldn’t face charges related to the crash, saying: “This remains an accident. Accident is not a crime. They do happen, unfortunately.”

Woods, 45, owns 15 career major championships, second behind Jack Nicklaus’ 18, and 82 PGA Tour victories, tied with Sam Snead for the all-time record.

Another great Tiger comeback possible

Woods could return to competitive golf within a year, top orthopedic surgeons said on Wednesday, but the road back from serious leg injuries sustained in a car crash will be a long and grueling one.

Already credited with one of sport’s great comebacks when he returned from back surgery to win a fifth Masters in 2019, ending an 11-year majors drought, Woods will have to be even more resilient if he is to overcome the damage done in Tuesday’s accident.

The devastating injuries have raised concerns over whether Woods will return to competitive golf, with any comeback further complicated by his long history of knee and back problems. (READ: Unsettling future for golf after Tiger Woods car crash)

But orthopedic surgeons interviewed by Reuters all agreed that, based on the information so far available, the 15-time major winner could return possibly within a year.

“What I have learned through my career taking care of athletes, particularly at that level – don’t count them out,” said Dr. Victor Khabie, chief of surgery and co-director of the Orthopedics and Spine Institute, Northern Westchester Hospital, in Mt. Kisco, New York. “I would say a year.

“It probably takes about 12 weeks to 4 months for the bone to actually heal,” he said. “And then after that intense rehab, realistically, probably a full year before he is back playing at a high level.”

Experts warned there are plenty of unknowns Woods might have to navigate before attempting any comeback.

Concern over infection is at the top of that list, followed by potential nerve damage and debilitating arthritis should the ankle injury be more severe.

But absent any major complications, it is possible Woods could be ready to tee it up at next year’s Masters, said Dr. Riley Williams, sports medicine surgeon at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery.

“He has the right psychological makeup and obviously very focused and driven,” said Williams, who operated on and managed NBA player Paul George’s compound fracture in 2014. 

“Let’s assume in the most straightforward case we’ve got good bone healing by 12 weeks and then another 3 months of general recovery.

“I could see him being on the range 6-to-12 months after surgery,” he said.

“The Masters next year is certainly within reason, again barring some unknown complicating factors.”

Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, said elite athletes possess all the tools to deal with such adversity, but that in this case, since Woods is 45, the question is whether he will want to go through the grind one more time.

“This is as serious as it gets when you have an open fracture because the risk of infection,” DiNubile told Reuters. “Tiger Woods, of everything I have read about him, is a really tough guy. He has been through a lot of injuries.

“He used to train with the Navy Seals and it sounds like even at the scene of the accident he was trying to get out of the car on his own,” he said.

“I wouldn’t (write him off). The thing against him is his age and at this point in his career does he need to do that?” – Rappler.com