Yao Update

[Indazone]

http://basketball. an24.com/2009-07-03/36161.html

In Summary

All the second opinions of experts/specialists that he consulted in the East Coast suggested for surgery. But nothing is certain about which approach.

Yao Ming himself has not make up his mind, as this will be the most difficult decision of his career to make. It will both affect Houston Rockets' prospects for the new season, as well as set the tone for the rest of his career.

The suggested surgery from the doctors will have high risk, as it will probably be different from the surgery he took last summer. It involves reshaping his arch and restructure of his foot/bone structure; the screws inserted last summer will have to be taken out; the fracture of the bone will have to be fixed, and new screws be inserted. It will be a very complex surgery with lengthy period of recuperation, and right after recuperation, it will be a lengthy period of rehabilitation. Everything will have to be started from ground zero again.

Yao's other alternatives are:

Based on reports in the Western and Chinese websites, there are 3 scenario/mode of operations:

Take a conservative approach and cast him in plastic plasters + bone stimulator and see if the fracture will heal itself 3 to 4 months down the road. If not, then surgery.

Take a more conventional surgery , i.e. pull out the screws inserted in previous surgery, fixed the fracture, insert new screws. This will take him 6 months for the recuperation and then another 2 months of rehab, but with no guarantee of no future fractures.

Take a more drastic surgical approach reshaping/restructuring his arch but this will take much longer time (close to 1 year) for recuperation and rehabilitation, but if successful, could possibly extend Yao's playing career, the way Big Z did.

The Houston Rockets wants Yao Ming to be able to come back to play as soon as possibly can, and therefore prefer taking the more conventional surgical approach with hope that he can return to play in latter part of next season and the playoff (if they succeed making the playoff).

I think if this were me or you in consultations with doctors, everyone would be saying surgery is the option of last resort and stick to the conservative approach. I would rather try to get him healed up for the long haul so I am for him taking his time. Get your foot plastered up and put the bone stimulator on it. Get well soon Yao.

[DaDakota]

Screw surgery that stuff is risky as it is...put a cast on that mother scratcher....like they should have done at the end of the year.

DD

[VivaPopovich]

restructuring the arc, now we're talking

the best type of bridge for thousands of years and running