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Lindsey Vonn Discharged from Hospital After Grueling Olympic Injury, Reveals Amputation Scare
Team USA skiing sensation Lindsey Vonn has finally been discharged from the hospital, providing a tearful and detailed account of her severe leg injury sustained during the recent Winter Olympics. The veteran athlete, who bravely attempted to compete despite a pre-existing ACL tear, faced a terrifying ordeal that required five surgeries and nearly resulted in amputation.
Vonn’s Olympic journey took a dramatic turn just seconds into her downhill ski run when a devastating wipeout led to a broken leg. Airlifted to the hospital, she spent the entirety of the Milan-Cortina Games undergoing extensive medical procedures to reconstruct her leg.
In an emotional Instagram video shared upon her discharge on Monday, the day after the Olympics concluded, Vonn expressed immense gratitude to Dr. Tom Hackett, crediting him with saving her leg.
“I’m finally out of the hospital!!!” Vonn wrote alongside the video.
“After almost 2 weeks of laying in a hospital bed almost completely immobile, I’m finally well enough to move to a hotel. It’s not home yet, but it’s a huge step!”
Fighting back tears, Vonn delved into the complex nature of her injury, revealing that a torn ACL before the Games ironically played a crucial role in preventing a worse outcome. “I had a complex tibia fracture, also fractured my fibula head, everything was in pieces,” she explained. “The reason why it was so complex was because I had compartment syndrome.”
She further detailed how compartment syndrome caused her muscles and tendons to effectively “die,” emphasizing that Dr. Hackett’s intervention was critical.
“He saved my leg from being amputated,” Vonn tearfully stated. The presence of Dr.
Hackett, she noted, was a direct result of her initial ACL injury, highlighting a bittersweet twist of fate.
Vonn now faces a long road to recovery, anticipating approximately a year for her bones to heal. Her immediate focus will be on rehabilitation, transitioning from a wheelchair to crutches in the coming weeks. Following the initial healing, she will decide whether to undergo another surgery to remove the metal implants and finally repair her ACL.
“It will be a long road but I’ll get there. At least I’m out of the hospital. Love you all,” Vonn concluded, demonstrating her characteristic resilience in the face of adversity.