RECOVERY
Recovering from Tommy John Surgery
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Tommy John surgery, named after famous Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tommy John, is a procedure that reconstructs the UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) in the elbow. The procedure is most famously known in baseball. The first player to go under the knife, Tommy John recovered from the revolutionary operation to pitch at an elite level.
The procedure was first performed by Dr. Frank Jobe, in 1974. At the time he was a consultant to divorced owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Frank McCourt. The procedure, itself, takes, at most, two and a half hours. However, the recovery process can last up to 14 months with intense rehabilitation involved. A pitcher spends more time nursing his elbow, as he will depend on it to support the immense centripetal force applied in order to be effective and pitch at high speeds.
The procedure involves removing a damaged ligament form the medial elbow and replacing it from elsewhere in the body. The ligament will come from a similar place in the body that experiences that same flexing and movement of the destroyed tendon, such as a ligament from under the knee or the opposite elbow. The surgery takes a while as the surgeon must accurately remove the tendon and drill it to the humerus bone or ulna. The surgery has a relatively high success rate at 85%.
Risks
The UCL can become stretched, frayed, or torn, due to applied stress. Unlike the damaged UCL, the new one has not experienced similar conditions. There have been theories applied by doctors that by applying certain steroids or applying certain chemicals can strengthen the muscle, however this is only theory. The types of pitches that pitchers throw after surgery affects the deterioration of the ligament. For instance a slider results in an 866% increase in the deterioration. Pitcher’s such as Josh Johnson who throw 2-seam Fastballs will experience significantly less deterioration.
Many parents have asked doctors to reconstruct the UCL of their uninjured sons as this surgery conditions the pitcher to believe that they can throw harder, a placebo. This is not true as over time the UCL will wear down and the throwing arm will become ineffective.
The procedure was first performed by Dr. Frank Jobe, in 1974. At the time he was a consultant to divorced owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Frank McCourt. The procedure, itself, takes, at most, two and a half hours. However, the recovery process can last up to 14 months with intense rehabilitation involved. A pitcher spends more time nursing his elbow, as he will depend on it to support the immense centripetal force applied in order to be effective and pitch at high speeds.
The procedure involves removing a damaged ligament form the medial elbow and replacing it from elsewhere in the body. The ligament will come from a similar place in the body that experiences that same flexing and movement of the destroyed tendon, such as a ligament from under the knee or the opposite elbow. The surgery takes a while as the surgeon must accurately remove the tendon and drill it to the humerus bone or ulna. The surgery has a relatively high success rate at 85%.
Risks
The UCL can become stretched, frayed, or torn, due to applied stress. Unlike the damaged UCL, the new one has not experienced similar conditions. There have been theories applied by doctors that by applying certain steroids or applying certain chemicals can strengthen the muscle, however this is only theory. The types of pitches that pitchers throw after surgery affects the deterioration of the ligament. For instance a slider results in an 866% increase in the deterioration. Pitcher’s such as Josh Johnson who throw 2-seam Fastballs will experience significantly less deterioration.
Many parents have asked doctors to reconstruct the UCL of their uninjured sons as this surgery conditions the pitcher to believe that they can throw harder, a placebo. This is not true as over time the UCL will wear down and the throwing arm will become ineffective.
Pitchers who have successfully recovered from Tommy John Surgery
Pitchers who have successfully recovered from Tommy John:
Josh Johnson
o Fourth Pick by the Florida Marlins
o Enjoyed an illustrious rookie campaign (12-7, W-L, 3.08 ERA)
o Underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2007
o Since surgery he has been a dominant force (33-11, W-L, 2.98 ERA)
o This year he leads the league in ERA (1.63) and has the fifth best WHIP (.90)
John Smoltz
o Drafted 574th 1985 draft
o Underwent Tommy John surgery in 2000
o Since surgery his ERA was consistently below 3.50, he won 59 games, saved 154, and accumulated over 1,070 strikeouts
Joakim Soria
o Drafted by Kansas City Royals in Rule 5 Draft in 2007
o Underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2005
o It is believed that the surgery made him a better pitcher
o Since the surgery he has accumulated 138 SV, 238 strikeouts, and has an ERA of 2.13
Billy Wagner
o Drafted by the Houston Astros in 1993
o Acclaimed as best closer in the modern live-ball era
o Underwent surgery in 2007
o He was successful after surgery: 7-2, W-L, 1.68 ERA and accumulated 30 saves
Pitchers who have not successfully recovered from Tommy John surgery:
Kerry Wood
o Had a stunning rookie campaign; was praised as the next pitching great and was compared to Hall of Famer Lefty Grove
o Underwent surgery in his sophomore year
o Never returned to rookie form, with the exception of a brief stint in 2010 with the New York Yankees
o Bounced between organizations and between the major and minor leagues
Pat Hentgen
o Averaged over 15 wins per year over a 8 year period
o Won the Cy Young Award
o When he was 31 he underwent surgery
o He managed to only win 11 games over 5 seasons
B.J. Ryan
o One of the best set-up-men in baseball in 2001-2004 with the Baltimore Orioles
o With the Toronto Blue Jays he had a stellar first year
o After undergoing surgery he was unable to return to original form and was replaced by Sean Downs
Darren Dreifort
o Signed a record contract prior 2001 season
o Underwent Tommy John surgery later that year
o Never fully recovered and went 5-8, W-L, with a 4.21 ERA
Phillip Humber
o Selected as the 3rd overall pick by the New York Mets in 2004
o After just one start he needed surgery
o Was an unsuccessful pitcher after his recovery, and after being traded by multiple teams, he is currently pitching in the No. 5 spot in the Chicago White Sox starting rotation.
Click here to see a picture of Tommy John Surgery (Warning! This picture is very graphic)
Josh Johnson
o Fourth Pick by the Florida Marlins
o Enjoyed an illustrious rookie campaign (12-7, W-L, 3.08 ERA)
o Underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2007
o Since surgery he has been a dominant force (33-11, W-L, 2.98 ERA)
o This year he leads the league in ERA (1.63) and has the fifth best WHIP (.90)
John Smoltz
o Drafted 574th 1985 draft
o Underwent Tommy John surgery in 2000
o Since surgery his ERA was consistently below 3.50, he won 59 games, saved 154, and accumulated over 1,070 strikeouts
Joakim Soria
o Drafted by Kansas City Royals in Rule 5 Draft in 2007
o Underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2005
o It is believed that the surgery made him a better pitcher
o Since the surgery he has accumulated 138 SV, 238 strikeouts, and has an ERA of 2.13
Billy Wagner
o Drafted by the Houston Astros in 1993
o Acclaimed as best closer in the modern live-ball era
o Underwent surgery in 2007
o He was successful after surgery: 7-2, W-L, 1.68 ERA and accumulated 30 saves
Pitchers who have not successfully recovered from Tommy John surgery:
Kerry Wood
o Had a stunning rookie campaign; was praised as the next pitching great and was compared to Hall of Famer Lefty Grove
o Underwent surgery in his sophomore year
o Never returned to rookie form, with the exception of a brief stint in 2010 with the New York Yankees
o Bounced between organizations and between the major and minor leagues
Pat Hentgen
o Averaged over 15 wins per year over a 8 year period
o Won the Cy Young Award
o When he was 31 he underwent surgery
o He managed to only win 11 games over 5 seasons
B.J. Ryan
o One of the best set-up-men in baseball in 2001-2004 with the Baltimore Orioles
o With the Toronto Blue Jays he had a stellar first year
o After undergoing surgery he was unable to return to original form and was replaced by Sean Downs
Darren Dreifort
o Signed a record contract prior 2001 season
o Underwent Tommy John surgery later that year
o Never fully recovered and went 5-8, W-L, with a 4.21 ERA
Phillip Humber
o Selected as the 3rd overall pick by the New York Mets in 2004
o After just one start he needed surgery
o Was an unsuccessful pitcher after his recovery, and after being traded by multiple teams, he is currently pitching in the No. 5 spot in the Chicago White Sox starting rotation.
Click here to see a picture of Tommy John Surgery (Warning! This picture is very graphic)