Woods has surgery to repair ligament
Less than a week after revealing he had torn a ligament in his left knee, Tiger Woods had surgery Tuesday. His doctors said the procedure to repair the anterior cruciate ligament went well.
Thomas Rosenberg and Vernon Cooley, the doctors who repaired ligament damage in Woods’ same knee in April in Park City, Utah, said they expect Woods to fully recover from his latest surgery on the knee, his third in the last five years.
Woods said in a posting on his website that it was important to have the surgery quickly to give him ample time for rehabilitation.
There is no timetable for Woods’ eventual return, although speculation has centered on the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in La Jolla the first week of February.
However, those closest to him already know that an ultimate primary target date is already penciled in: April 9, the day of the first round of the Masters.
Rosenberg operated on Woods’ left knee in 2002 to drain fluid from around the anterior cruciate ligament and to remove a benign cyst. He also operated on Woods’ knee two days after the Masters to repair cartilage damage.
The latest surgical procedure on Woods’ left knee comes eight days after Woods won his third U.S. Open title in a 19-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines.
Woods revealed two days later that he played despite a damaged ACL that he ruptured while jogging in July after the British Open and also double stress fractures of his tibia, which happened during his rehabilitation from the April surgery.
Rosenberg said he was confident going into the surgery and that nothing has changed his opinion.
“I am pleased with the results,” Rosenberg said in a statement on Woods’ website. “There were no surprises during the procedure, and as we have said, with the proper rehabilitation and training, it is highly unlikely that Mr. Woods will have any long-term effects as it relates to his career.”
Woods, 32, has 14 major championships, four behind Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18.
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