Saints "Surgery is better for Brees" - Dr. David Chao (@ProFootballDoc) (1 Viewer)

For the record...not many people like Dr. Chao in the Sports Med world. Pretending to know what’s best for a patient you have never seen based in an exam you didn’t do and images you have never reviewed is a big reason why. He shouldn’t be giving advice to Brees right now.
 
For the record...not many people like Dr. Chao in the Sports Med world. Pretending to know what’s best for a patient you have never seen based in an exam you didn’t do and images you have never reviewed is a big reason why. He shouldn’t be giving advice to Brees right now.

I don’t think Brees should be taking any advice from someone who didn’t examine him (nor would he).

But Dr. Chao’s hit rate is pretty good when it comes to injuries. And he does a good job of explaining it to fans who don’t have medical backgrounds.
 
For the record...not many people like Dr. Chao in the Sports Med world. Pretending to know what’s best for a patient you have never seen based in an exam you didn’t do and images you have never reviewed is a big reason why. He shouldn’t be giving advice to Brees right now.
It’s the world we live in. Gotta have immediate analysis despite not knowing the facts.
 
I don’t think Brees should be taking any advice from someone who didn’t examine him (nor would he).

But Dr. Chao’s hit rate is pretty good when it comes to injuries. And he does a good job of explaining it to fans who don’t have medical backgrounds.

What Dr Chao does is very easy. Others don’t do it because they understand that these players have real physicians and it’s poor form to spit out diagnoses that the player may or may not have to the general public out of respect to the players treatment team. Every person with a lick of experience (medicine, PT, AT, trainers) all predict injuries during games but there has to be some level of self-control.
 
What Dr Chao does is very easy. Others don’t do it because they understand that these players have real physicians and it’s poor form to spit out diagnoses that the player may or may not have to the general public out of respect to the players treatment team. Every person with a lick of experience (medicine, PT, AT, trainers) all predict injuries during games but there has to be some level of self-control.

I find it informative. I know a lot of others do, too.

I don’t take it as a true diagnosis. But it’s interesting to know ahead of time best/worst case scenario.
 
What if the difference, based on his specific injury, in return time is 6-8 weeks with surgery and let’s say 8-10 weeks — without surgery?

I’m guessing you have to think really hard about wether the possibility of coming back 2 weeks sooner is worth having your hand cut open and a support brace surgically attached to your thumb ligament. Not to mention the risk of infection that comes with an incision of any kind and the other potential complications that surgery brings.

Now filter that through a 40 year old father of 4 who is at the later portion of his career and the idea of surgery starts to seem less and less appealing, if it’s me.

Now if the second opinion says — no way this heals on its own in under 3 months. No surgery and your season is over — surgery and you are back in 6-8 weeks. That’s a different scenario and maybe surgery does seem more appealing in an effort to salvage the season — but again — does a man at Drew’s stage see it that way? Maybe avoiding the knife is his top priority even if it takes him out all of 2019.

I understand more now why a second opinion makes sense.
 
What if the difference, based on his specific injury, in return time is 6-8 weeks with surgery and let’s say 8-10 weeks — without surgery?

I’m guessing you have to think really hard about wether the possibility of coming back 2 weeks sooner is worth having your hand cut open and a support brace surgically attached to your thumb ligament. Not to mention the risk of infection that comes with an incision of any kind and the other potential complications that surgery brings.

Now filter that through a 40 year old father of 4 who is at the later portion of his career and the idea of surgery starts to seem less and less appealing, if it’s me.

Now if the second opinion says — no way this heals on its own in under 3 months. No surgery and your season is over — surgery and you are back in 6-8 weeks. That’s a different scenario and maybe surgery does seem more appealing in an effort to salvage the season — but again — does a man at Drew’s stage see it that way? Maybe avoiding the knife is his top priority even if it takes him out all of 2019.

I understand more now why a second opinion makes sense.

Fully agree. My ortho said he never wants to cut as once he does, it's never the same again. Further, he advised me of possible nerve damage. Which I ended up with ( no feeling from pinky toe back to my heel... Like a half inch thick running down side of foot)

Very good point here.
 
I haven’t had the exact injury that Drew has but I’ve had several hand operations. I’ve had a total of 8 different procedures done on all 8 fingers on both hands but no thumbs on either hand. Dr. Mark Hontas in Covington did those procedures for me. The condition I had was called trigger finger and the procedure was called trigger finger release. When I saw Drew on the sideline after halftime when he tried to pick up the ball only to have it slip out of his hands I told my wife and oldest son they had given him a cortisone shot in his thumb. Drew is an amazing athlete with the best trainers around him. Yes a tear in the ligament is a different type injury than what I had but I have to lean on the lower time getting him back than the longer time of 8 weeks. I’m sure we may have some Dr.’s on here that can shine more light on the subject than I can.
 
For the record...not many people like Dr. Chao in the Sports Med world. Pretending to know what’s best for a patient you have never seen based in an exam you didn’t do and images you have never reviewed is a big reason why. He shouldn’t be giving advice to Brees right now.
He doesn't. He's very clear when he talks that he didn't do the exam, he has no inside knowledge, and he's not offering advice. he's just stating what he thinks happened, what the timelines for outcomes usually are and if the team would do IR or not.
 
What if the difference, based on his specific injury, in return time is 6-8 weeks with surgery and let’s say 8-10 weeks — without surgery?

I’m guessing you have to think really hard about wether the possibility of coming back 2 weeks sooner is worth having your hand cut open and a support brace surgically attached to your thumb ligament. Not to mention the risk of infection that comes with an incision of any kind and the other potential complications that surgery brings.

Now filter that through a 40 year old father of 4 who is at the later portion of his career and the idea of surgery starts to seem less and less appealing, if it’s me.

Now if the second opinion says — no way this heals on its own in under 3 months. No surgery and your season is over — surgery and you are back in 6-8 weeks. That’s a different scenario and maybe surgery does seem more appealing in an effort to salvage the season — but again — does a man at Drew’s stage see it that way? Maybe avoiding the knife is his top priority even if it takes him out all of 2019.

I understand more now why a second opinion makes sense.
I don't think that's the choice.

If it was fully torn, he has to get surgery or he'd never heal right.

If it was partially torn, then there might be a debate.
 
What Dr Chao does is very easy. Others don’t do it because they understand that these players have real physicians and it’s poor form to spit out diagnoses that the player may or may not have to the general public out of respect to the players treatment team. Every person with a lick of experience (medicine, PT, AT, trainers) all predict injuries during games but there has to be some level of self-control.
Maybe consider doing this yourself.
 
can he continue to work out? muscles including the shoulder and arm above the wrist? you worry about muscle atrophy after 6 weeks if they make him shut it all down. deep ball might not be there immediately when he gets back. :(
 
Ronnie Lott cut off his finger so he could play... Just saying... Brees needs to stop being such a little ninny baby about this.... Chop Chop! Let's go!
 
What Dr Chao does is very easy. Others don’t do it because they understand that these players have real physicians and it’s poor form to spit out diagnoses that the player may or may not have to the general public out of respect to the players treatment team. Every person with a lick of experience (medicine, PT, AT, trainers) all predict injuries during games but there has to be some level of self-control.
Does the surgical procedure result in a stronger-than-before ligament vs. a partial healing naturally? I guess I'm asking if they can artificially enhance the durability of the ligament.
 
Does the surgical procedure result in a stronger-than-before ligament vs. a partial healing naturally? I guess I'm asking if they can artificially enhance the durability of the ligament.
From an article I read yesterday, that was my understanding of the surgery. That whatever they insert in there makes it much harder to injure it ever again. And that it's just as good, if not better, than before.
 

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