Plushenko having back surgery to replace a disc

**Nikki Lee** · 01-31-2013, 02:34 PM

From the International Figure Skating facebook post this morning: "ESPN reported this morning that Evgeny Plushenko is having back surgery in Israel today to replace a deteriorated disk in his spine with a plastic one. He will not compete at Worlds."

**LilJen** · 01-31-2013, 02:35 PM

Owwwwwww. His doctors will probably tell him not to skate again, but he'll be back attempting quads in 3-4 months.

**robinhood** · 01-31-2013, 02:37 PM

Why in Israel? i thought he was going to Germany before...

**lala** · 01-31-2013, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by robinhood

Why in Israel? i thought he was going to Germany before...

In Israel are working specialists of this operation. The back surgery went well, I just read in Russian media
http://fcp-press.ru/interview/p2_articleid/6360

If you didn't see this is the operation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5hQlrbKNdU

**Nikki Lee** · 01-31-2013, 02:46 PM

Oh geez...I made a terrible error in the title of this thread. It should read "disc replaced"....NOT vertebra.

**Carolla5501** · 01-31-2013, 03:03 PM

More details

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/plushen...0059--spt.html

(Loved this line... "Mishin said recovery from the operation would be ''quite long,'' but Plushenko could train for next season." )

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...rgery/1878071/

**sk9tingfan** · 01-31-2013, 03:14 PM

Sorry, but IMO, he's crazy to skate again.

**Twilight1** · 01-31-2013, 03:47 PM

Having just had back surgery myself... Plushenko is crazy to think he will be healed enough so he can compete next year in Sochi. He is older, it takes longer to heal and the amount of pressure required to do quads on his back, is just going to bugger him worst. Never mind the potential for being paralyzed.

Sorry to say but he should just hang his skates. Let himself heal and then do shows.

**DimaToe** · 01-31-2013, 03:55 PM

Plushenko has been in more surgeries than actual competitions this quadrennial, I get it that he likes to compete and wants to be on home olympic ice (plus the push from the Russian fed) but he has already done so much in this sport. I think that he should start thinking about his health and how it can affect his life after skating. I mean if he skates again he could get re injured and next time it could not all get all solved with just a surgery. Every ones body has A limit. I think Plushenko reached his a while ago, now he's just pushing his luck, I hope that he can have a life after skating that doesn't involve life long physical therapy and pain

**sk9tingfan** · 01-31-2013, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by Twilight1

Having just had back surgery myself... Plushenko is crazy to think he will be healed enough so he can compete next year in Sochi. He is older, it takes longer to heal and the amount of pressure required to do quads on his back, is just going to bugger him worst. Never mind the potential for being paralyzed.

Sorry to say but he should just hang his skates. Let himself heal and then do shows.

ITA. i used to care for quads, paras and other neurologically-affected patients. Call me crazy, but wh knows what extreme degree of external pressure is being exerted.

**giselle23** · 01-31-2013, 04:23 PM

Plushy has made his point, for better or worse--male skaters need to do the quad to win. I can't see him coming back again. But it doesn't matter because, love him or hate him, he is a figure skating legend.

**danceronice** · 01-31-2013, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by giselle23

Plushy has made his point, for better or worse--male skaters need to do the quad to win. I can't see him coming back again. But it doesn't matter because, love him or hate him, he is a figure skating legend.

He's going to be a crippled figure-skating legend if he doesn't get read the writing on the wall and QUIT. If he's thinking of competing, he's crazy. If his federation and coaches are pushing him to do it so Russia can have a 'legend' at Sochi, they're criminals. What on Earth does he possibly have to prove?

**rfisher** · 01-31-2013, 04:33 PM

Actually, with this particular type of surgery, the odds that he can continue skating are fairly good. That would not be the situation with the older spinal fusion option. If there are no complications, he should have normal function and be pain free. The procedure is fairly new, but is expected to become the standard. His long term prognosis is unknown. Not because of skating but because of the materials used in the surgery. The procedure hasn't been aroung long enough to know how well the patient will do 10-15 years out which is the same for all patients. Our hospital has done several with very good immediate results.

This is truely a wait and see situation. The recovery will be much faster than a spinal fusion. I wish him well. If this surgery continues to be a success (it was only approved in the US about 4 years ago but has a longer history and study in Europe), it may change the life of many people who suffer from low back pain.

And, there is a huge difference in having an intervertebral disc replaced and having a vertebra replaced.

**BittyBug** · 01-31-2013, 04:38 PM

I hope he has a full and speedy recovery.

**Skittl1321** · 01-31-2013, 04:38 PM

I wish Plushenko would realize there is a lot of value in passing your skills on to the next generation. He could coach and skate in shows- he doesn't have to leave the ice forever, but his body clearly can't take the pounding of being a competitive skater.

I have a 3 level spinal fusion (I broke my neck in an accident), and the thing I worry most about it (other than the hole in my spinal cord that has to be monitored for growth paralyzing me) is the degeneration on the levels above and below the fusion. Plushenko may be able to be pain free (I am, and lost only like 2 degrees of my range of motion) but he needs to worry about damage he is doing on parts of the body near his 'fixes'. I know a fusion is different from a disc replacement, but all these things are unnatural and have risks. He has been in and out of various surgeries for years now. It takes a toll. You can't give up your life, I took up skating after I broke my neck, but if you were an elite athlete, you have to pull back. He clearly has huge competitive drive- maybe he can find something else to compete in? Curling? Triathalons?

**GarrAarghHrumph** · 01-31-2013, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by rfisher

Actually, with this particular type of surgery, the odds that he can continue skating are fairly good. That would not be the situation with the older spinal fusion option. If there are no complications, he should have normal function and be pain free. The procedure is fairly new, but is expected to become the standard. His long term prognosis is unknown. Not because of skating but because of the materials used in the surgery. The procedure hasn't been aroung long enough to know how well the patient will do 10-15 years out which is the same for all patients. Our hospital has done several with very good immediate results.

This is truely a wait and see situation. The recovery will be much faster than a spinal fusion. I wish him well. If this surgery continues to be a success (it was only approved in the US about 4 years ago but has a longer history and study in Europe), it may change the life of many people who suffer from low back pain.

And, there is a huge difference in having an intervertebral disc replaced and having a vertebra replaced.

Thanks for this helpful information. I hope it works out well for him, and irregardless of whether he returns to skating, he can have less pain in his life.

**skatesindreams** · 01-31-2013, 05:00 PM

I wish him a complete recovery, whether he competes/skates again, or not.

**barbk** · 01-31-2013, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by BittyBug

I hope he has a full and speedy recovery.

+1

(But if his doctors advise him to lay off the jumping, permanently, I hope he does so. I'd hate to see him crippled.)

**peibeck** · 01-31-2013, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by rfisher

Actually, with this particular type of surgery, the odds that he can continue skating are fairly good. That would not be the situation with the older spinal fusion option. If there are no complications, he should have normal function and be pain free. The procedure is fairly new, but is expected to become the standard. His long term prognosis is unknown. Not because of skating but because of the materials used in the surgery. The procedure hasn't been aroung long enough to know how well the patient will do 10-15 years out which is the same for all patients. Our hospital has done several with very good immediate results.

This is truely a wait and see situation. The recovery will be much faster than a spinal fusion. I wish him well. If this surgery continues to be a success (it was only approved in the US about 4 years ago but has a longer history and study in Europe), it may change the life of many people who suffer from low back pain.

I had to look up this type of surgery yesterday after reading about him having it scheduled, because it is apparently so new in the U.S. I was unfamiliar with it. I looked up a study on athletes who have had it, and what worried me most was the athletes who self reported limitations after the surgery. The highest percent of limitation was in jumping (nearly a 1/3 of the athletes) and rotation (by about 1/4 of the athletes). Obviously both are necessary for high level skating.

The "plus" side of the article was that recovery generally ranges from 2-6 weeks as compared to a year for fusion surgery, so long as there is no nerve damage.

Regardless of what his doctors recommend, I truly think Plushenko is self-driven to compete for that Sochi spot. If he is able to be pain free that will be wonderful; if he's able to be pain free and continue skating, that is the bonus. He's definitely a legend in the sport already regardless.

**bardtoob** · 01-31-2013, 05:48 PM

I hope the best for him.

Thread: Plushenko having back surgery to replace a disc

Thread Tools

Plushenko having back surgery to replace a disc

Posting Permissions