Plushenko having back surgery to replace a disc

[umronnie]

Maybe Mrs. Plushenko will finally put her foot down. He has kids and needs to be responsible. Nobody can take his acheivements away from him and it's more than possible that no one can even repeat them. Enough is enough.

A speedy recovery, Plush! May you lead a long and healthy life.

[Glacier cat]

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.

Thank you very much. I am relieved a little! Now I googled of this kind of surgery. Still ain't sure if this surgery is really safe because it is, as I understand, very new treatment and actually I didn't see whether if the sites that I saw was ad or good. Can he jump like before? I want to see him at show at least until he will be 35

[lala]

Thank you very much. I am relieved a little! Now I googled of this kind of surgery. Still ain't sure if this surgery is really safe because it is, as I understand, very new treatment and actually I didn't see whether if the sites that I saw was ad or good. Can he jump like before? I want to see him at show at least until he will be 35

Yes, I agree with you. I'm worried because of his plan, he wants to compete in Sochi. I also would like to see him in many shows!! I really don't understand. This is a new treatment, who knows what will be in the future?

[BittyBug]

Maybe Mrs. Plushenko will finally put her foot down. He has kids and needs to be responsible. Nobody can take his acheivements away from him and it's more than possible that no one can even repeat them. Enough is enough.

Isn't she the one who urged him to return to competition last year?

[sequins]

While never a Plushenko fan myself I admire what he's done and I don't wanna see anyone endanger their health and well being. Give it up, you have nothing to prove, accept it and move on, it's not worth it. Someone is trying to tell you somethng. That said I wish him all the best in whatever he choose to do.

[Carolla5501]

This all sounds great but
(A) None of us have a clue what we are talking about. We are not his doctor and don't know his conditon
(B) None of us have his ego.

Combination of A and B will, IMHO, decide things. I just hope A gets more weight then B, but considering his coach's statements.....

[rfisher]

Thank you very much. I am relieved a little! Now I googled of this kind of surgery. Still ain't sure if this surgery is really safe because it is, as I understand, very new treatment and actually I didn't see whether if the sites that I saw was ad or good. Can he jump like before? I want to see him at show at least until he will be 35

The surgery is safe enough. There is always the possibility of complications with any surgery. The issue is the durabilty of the artifical discs. That is an unknown. As to whether or not Plushenko is able to compete, that simply remains to be seen. If there are no complications with the surgery itself, it will be up to him.

[lala]

Isn't she the one who urged him to return to competition last year?

No, you know nothing. Yana is very smart and strong woman, who helped a lot Plushy, and she really loves him. In december Yana and Plushy's mother didn't want that he competes at Rus Nat, but Plushy wanted. And in ECH 2012,Yana wanted Plushy's withdrawal, but Plushy didn't, and as we know he won.

[nubka]

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

Plush has always been my favorite, and I love to watch him compete, but I totally agree with what you are saying.

[lala]

This all sounds great but
(A) None of us have a clue what we are talking about. We are not his doctor and don't know his conditon
(B) None of us have his ego.

Combination of A and B will, IMHO, decide things. I just hope A gets more weight then B, but considering his coach's statements.....

This has nothing to do with his ego. I don't know his all reasons why he wants to compete, but one of them is the Olympic games will be held in home country.. And his personality needs to his unrepeatable career. A weak personality would have remained in Volgograd in 1993, and he never would have been this incomparable athlete.

[kwanfan1818]

No, you know nothing. Yana is very smart and strong woman, who helped a lot Plushy, and she really loves him. In december Yana and Plushy's mother didn't want that he competes at Rus Nat, but Plushy wanted. And in ECH 2012,Yana wanted Plushy's withdrawal, but Plushy didn't, and as we know he won.

He did say that she was the one who encouraged his comeback in 2010. Perhaps she didn't know the monster she created if she wanted him to back off since then.

[lala]

He did say that she was the one who encouraged his comeback in 2010. Perhaps she didn't know the monster she created if she wanted him to back off since then.

Yes, that's true, she was the one who advised him to return, and she was who said him every day in 2009, "you can do it, you can do it", when Plushy almost gave up the struggle to his weight and fatigue. And that was a good advise, don't you think? Every succesful men has a strong and smart wife.

[BittyBug]

No, you know nothing.

I'm quite sure I know at least something.

I meant last season (not literally last year, as in 2012). So as you've confirmed, it was in fact his wife who originally prompted him to return to competition.

[Sylvia]

Latest Reuters article with quotes by Mishin: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...0B07RS20130131

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Former Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko underwent successful back surgery in Tel Aviv on Thursday to replace a deteriorated disc in his spine.

"Yevgeny had an operation to remove one of his spinal discs with a synthetic one," the Russian's long-time coach Alexei Mishin told Reuters.

"The doctor who performed the operation said it was a success (but) ... it's too early to make any prognosis about his return to the ice."

[caseyedwards]

That sounds awful! Synthetic disc. If he ever wants to compete again he's got a year of recovery and training time but still like wow.

[rayhaneh]

This has nothing to do with his ego. I don't know his all reasons why he wants to compete, but one of them is the Olympic games will be held in home country.. And his personality needs to his unrepeatable career. A weak personality would have remained in Volgograd in 1993, and he never would have been this incomparable athlete.

Just in case, having a strong ego isn't necessarily a bad, negative thing lala Actually, I'd go as far as saying that it's a trait shared by a majority of great champions - you need a dose of egoism, you need to be somewhat (or very) self-centered in order to push single-mindedly for excellence (although I am sure that, as with every generality, there are exceptions )

I wish Plushenko all the best with his recovery and that he can get back to where he wants to be, be it in his daily life or in competition, should he chose (and be able to) return

[ChelleC]

I wish him a speedy recovery from the surgery.

[Mayra]

That sounds awful! Synthetic disc.

I'm fascinated by it. As rfisher pointed out above, this is still a new procedure in the US and it appears to be less limiting(in regards to post op range of motion) than a spinal fusion or laminectomy etc. Regardless of whether he returns competitively to the ice, this procedure sounds like something he would need just to live comfortably and relatively pain free on a day to day basis, never mind ice shows and what not.

Here's hoping for full recovery!

[kwanfan1818]

Pain free would be an unfamiliar condition, and I hope he gets it.

[sk8pics]

One of my cousins, who is himself a doctor, had surgery in Spain last year to replace one of his degenerated discs with a synthetic one. I don't know if this was the same surgery, but it helped him a lot and the recovery was easier than with any procedure he would have had done in the U.S. His insurance would not cover any of the cost, but he had been in such pain he went ahead and had the surgery anyway. Hopefully Plushenko will make a good recovery, whether he tries to skate again or not.