Brady, surgeon talk with LA Times

"Brady, the NFL's most valuable player in 2007 who returned to practice last week for the first time since his injury, was sidelined for the 2008 season after suffering a gruesome, three-ligament knee injury in the opener against Kansas City."

Mike: Do you think that was a mistake in the article or we didn't know how bad the injury really was?

Where's Tom Curran now? His Tomase type article said Tom Brady might miss the entire 2009 season or at least 1/2 the season due to the infection in his knee after the surgery. Dr Curran should leave the real diagnosis to real doctors. Has anybody seen this fraud since this bs article came out?

> Where's Tom Curran now?

No kidding! I asked the same question about Tomase Curran in a comment
to a prior boston.com article the other day -- but it was censored to remove his
name.

Actually if anything, this article validates Curran in the sense that it says Brady's recovery was abnormal, and that he exceeded expectations. Curran's timetable might not have been that far off for the average person but Brady worked hard enough to be in this position.

We have to take every article about any player's injury with a grain of salt, and in some cases we need the whole shaker. Obviously the knee injury isn't as bad as some of the earlier prognostications said (Brady is running and practicing, proof enough that the knee isn't riddled with strep and dead tissue). However, I doubt that his knee is also bulletproof and able to speak three languages as some of the more recent articles seem to say. It looks like Brady will be able to start the season behind center for the Pats, but none of us should be shocked if somewhere down the line we read a headline about Brady's knee not quite being 100% and effecting his play.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache said that Brady has exceeded his expectations with his recovery.

"With regard to his recovery of strength, I've never seen anything quite like it. With an average person, it would have taken probably twice as long to get range of motion and strength back."

Not suprised Dr. Neal ElAttrache has never seen quite like this, seeing as how he isn't really an expert in performing this type of surgery, which was evident with the need to have a second surgery on Brady's knee.

Brendan,

According to Brady (and it could just be Brady covering for his friend), the infection that ensued was caused by his over zealousness in the day after the surgery carrying his son on his shoulders and walking all over the place. That caused the inflamation and set the tone for the infection to take hold. ElAttrache had nothing to do with the infection, but his decisive move (again could be Brady posturing) saved the day.

Curran is a writer of repute and as much as I love the Patriots and as big a fan I am on Tom Brady I cannot help but take this story with a grain of salt. Although it is not his style to indulge in hyperbole, had this come from Dr. James Andrews I would be more inclined to believe it. However, this comes from doctor who seems to have a Hollywood aura to him and in all likelihood does not deal with a whole lot of professional athletes

If the infection had been left, not treated as soon as it was treated, then yes, Brady could have missed the entire 2009 season, and maybe never recovered fully.
Infection has nothing to do with experience. Infection HAPPENS. In the most sterile of environments, following every possible precaution, infection still happens. It usually has little to do with the people performing the surgery.

These recent Brady & ElAttrache statements leave me suspicious. To my ears their mutual support sounds contrived - spin.

My relatives in healthcare tell me that post-operative infection cannot be caused alone by a hemotoma (bruising) following surgery as Brady claimed recently. 99% of operation infections are the result of inadequate sterilization of either the staff, instruments or the environment. Hey - we're dealing with microbes here and infections can and do occur under the finest care. (I believe Seymour was on the 2007 PUP due to an infection following an authroscopic knee procedure by the Pats-approved doctors)

True, ElAttrache & co. responded correctly (THANK GOD), but apparently those subsequent procedures were made necessary by someone's mistake in that operating room.

Re: Tom's post in #5: "I doubt that his [Brady's] knee is also bulletproof and able to speak three languages as some of the more recent articles seem to say." Tom, NO ONE's knee is bulletproof, unless they regularly use kryptonite, which is probably on the list of banned substances for NFL players. Pro foorball is especially brutal on knees.

Staph infections are far more common due to surgery and hospital stays than anyone in the health care industiry truly cares to admit. After experiencing such an incidence in '89 post three disc spinal fusion there in the Boston area the numbers I was as being quoted at that time were in the 3-4% range. I hope it's less today but frankly don't understand how T/B carrying his son post op had anything to do with a staph infection. Maybe someone here could explain that to me as I was under the distinct impression that it was strictly an enviromental issue. i.e. hospital, operating room etc...

Hell, the knee is no problem. What we really have to worry about is the shoulder that's been on the injury report for the past four years...!

Reason (#13), oddly enough, the game against KC was the first time in 4 years that BB did not have Brady on the injury report!

The topic here is a REPAIRED Knee. Not a natural whole knee.Who would rather have a Tom Brady before the injury or this Tom Brady? I would pick the before. As that is impossible, how should I feel about his chances of re-injury? Don't know but I would bet, greater than before. Would I be developing his back up? In a New York minute I would.
He had a gravely serious injury. If this was a few years ago he would have been finished. So we give him and his doctor a Gold star. But he remains an injured quarterback forever. You trust your health and future to Matt Light? With a seriously injured knee? Nope.

Thanks, Reason for re-focusing the discussion.
Unless I'm mistaken, for the first time in 4 years BillB did NOT list Brady and his shoulder on the injury report for last year's opener.

My money's says TB's back on the probable injury report EVERY SINGLE GAME of this season.

Carrying your kid around doesn't introduce bacteria to the knee. I think Brady's showing his Doc some appreciation but revealing he didn't pay attention during biology at UMich

Glad to see Tom back and doing well, but that LA times article reads like a celebrity infomercial. The surgeon did his job, and he's Tom's L.A. buddy, that's great. There was an infection, it happens all the time.

Donovan McNabb, Carson Palmer and Phillip Rivers have all had similar surgery in the last couple of years, and I seem to remember Rodney Harrisons knee getting shredded sideways a couple of years ago. They all came back, and none of them used ElAttrache, so while I expect Brady to give the guy props, lets' not get carried away.

The interesting part will be where his head is at when the season starts. Will he be thinking too much about the knee or will he step up. Having seen him the last 10 years I would say we all agree that he has a chip on his shoulder and is ready to kick butt and take names later.

Mike,
Please tell me why I cant read comments section from my cell phone?

Tom, I hope you make it man. We need a winner and some hope in NE again.

Infectious agents have several ways to evade the surgical team's best efforts. It's as sterile as it can be, but it isn't perfect. A person has any incision or skin wound or scratch that leaves an opening in the skin barrier, being in a hospital environment, where people come & go on the staff, visitors, office supply deliveries, etc.... can get an infection. It does not necessarily happen in the OR. It often doesn't. Nothing's foolproof people. I don't know why this is even an issue.

These are the 2nd most important knees in Boston Sports History. If only even half of today's technology existed back in the 70s for Boston's GREATEST Sports Icon & Legend. Robert Gordon Orr. Tom it's now you're world, and I'm glad to be living in it. But you've a LONG way to go to approach Orr Status. Keep trying though.

Tom is BACK! End of story. Defenses beware, I got 3 words for ya, BRADY, MOSS, WELKER!

Shreaded!