Turiaf Has a Faulty Heart

Laker draft pick Ronny Turiaf will undergo open-heart surgery to repair an enlarged aortic root and will sit out one season, if not longer, as he recuperates from a condition that could have taken his life if not diagnosed.

Turiaf, 22, will have surgery in four to six weeks to treat the condition, which was detected by Laker doctors after extensive testing. Turiaf, a 6-foot-10 forward selected No. 37 by the Lakers in last month’s draft, signed a two-year contract last week that was contingent upon his passing a physical.

Turiaf, who grew up on the Caribbean island of Martinique and played high school basketball in Paris, had tests done several years ago in France that showed an abnormality of the heart, but was cleared to play. Tests done last month at the NBA’s pre-draft camp in Chicago also presented an abnormality, but he was cleared there as well.

“Naturally, we wish that they would have seen it the way our doctors found it,” Laker spokesman John Black said Thursday. “It would have made a difference, but we don’t want to point fingers. We feel fortunate that it was found when it was. It probably saved the kid’s life.

“A best-case scenario, if things go great, is he could come back as early as a year from now. Doctors think that if he’s ever able to play basketball again, it would be a bonus.”

The condition is probably congenital, although doctors could not pinpoint how long it has been an issue, Black said.

The aortic root is the beginning part of the aorta, the body’s largest artery, which carries oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. The diameter of Turiaf’s aorta is 5.6 centimeters, about 50% larger than normal, increasing the probability of a rupture.

“He’s obviously a bigger person, so you expect the diameter to be bigger, but that’s very large,” said Howard Staniloff, a cardiologist at Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center in Inglewood.

One of Turiaf’s attending physicians said there was a 75% chance he would have had a potentially fatal episode within a three- to four-year period, Black said. Turiaf was examined by Laker internist John Moe and Centinela Freeman cardiologist Phil Frankel, among others.

“The usual way it might present itself is with a person bleeding, collapsing to the floor and dying,” Staniloff said. “When it comes on, if it ruptures, the chances of people surviving that is small. By identifying it now before there’s a hole in it, they can plan for it and do the surgery in a controlled way and fix it.”

Patients who undergo surgery for an enlarged aortic root are usually substantially older than Turiaf, Staniloff said.

Turiaf was also tested for Marfan syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that can lead to a ruptured aorta. Results were negative.

Turiaf, who played four years at Gonzaga, was selected the West Coast Conference most valuable player his senior season after averaging 15.9 points and 9.5 rebounds. The Lakers liked his aggressiveness at both ends of the court and were elated that he was still available with the first of their two second-round picks.

Turiaf’s scrappiness made him a quick fan favorite in the recently concluded summer league in Long Beach. Turiaf, in his final summer league game last week, had 14 points and four rebounds in 35 minutes against the Miami Heat’s summer league entry. He sat out the last four games for further testing after undergoing his physical.

“Naturally, there is some disappointment from us that he won’t be able to play,” Black said. “He was a player that we like. We thought he’d go in the first round. We were happy to get him but we also feel very fortunate that our doctors found this when they did because my understanding of it is this was a potentially fatal situation, and by our doctors finding it, we believe we saved his life.”

Black said Turiaf’s condition would nullify the contract he signed last week, although the Lakers would still retain his rights, pending league approval. The team is expected to pay Turiaf’s medical costs.

“He’s obviously disappointed, and I think it’s safe to say he’s concerned and anxious and a little bit scared that he’s going to have to undergo open-heart surgery,” Black said. “But I think his state now after having it sunk in a little bit, he’s optimistic about it and hopeful for his future.”

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Times staff writer Jerry Crowe contributed to this report.