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Lindsey Vonn Details Early Recovery After Olympic Crash as Doctors Outline Leg-Saving Surgery

An emergency fasciotomy credited with saving her leg has begun a rehabilitation expected to last months.

Overview

  • Back in the United States after multiple operations, Vonn says she is largely immobile and expects weeks in a wheelchair before progressing to crutches.
  • She described a complex left tibia fracture with fibular head and tibial plateau fractures, a broken right ankle, and compartment syndrome following her Feb. 8 downhill crash.
  • Vonn said surgeon Dr. Tom Hackett performed a fasciotomy that saved her leg from amputation after hours of surgery that included a blood transfusion.
  • Posting “Thank you for getting me there, team,” she publicly credited Dr. Hackett, Dr. Roche, and her support staff for enabling her comeback and urgent care.
  • After an emotional reunion with her dog Chance, she shared an “internal mental battle,” while a Chicago orthopedic surgeon explained the time-critical nature of compartment syndrome and estimated no weight-bearing for up to three months with recovery possibly taking about a year.