When writing for a medical practice I have to remember one important fact: I am not a doctor! I write for doctors because people want to know about the physician they may choose to entrust with their health care and doctors want to inform patients about their services. Also, doctors need to attract new patients because healthcare is a competitive field. Writing for doctors is fun because I learn a lot about medicine as I research various subjects and something new is always happening.

Believe it or not doctors were’t allowed to advertise until 1977 when the U.S. Supreme court ruled that states could not prohibit doctors from advertising. I remember once when I was speaking with a doctor about attracting customers, he cut me off and said “they are patients, not customers.” He was right, and I consider it an honor to be able to help both physicians and patients.

This article is an example of a topic that is in the news, and yet most people don’t know what it is.

What is Tommy John Surgery? And Who is Tommy John?

As of this writing, there are at least four major-league baseball players in the news because they are about to have “Tommy John Surgery.” If you follow sports, you hear about it, so stop wondering and start reading because we’re going to explain it!

Tommy John surgery repairs an injured elbow ligament. It’s most commonly done on college and pro athletes, especially baseball pitchers. But it’s sometimes done on younger people as well.

The surgery is named after former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tommy John. In 1974, he underwent the first surgery of this type. Born Thomas Edward John Jr. on May 22, 1943 he also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Chicago White Sox, the New York Yankees, the California Angels, and the Oakland Athletics. His 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers.

Tommy John surgery is also called UCL reconstruction. UCL is short for ulnar collateral ligament.

During Tommy John surgery, a surgeon replaces the injured UCL with a tendon taken from somewhere else in the patient’s body.

Other types of surgery for repairing the UCL have also been developed, but in many cases the procedure is still used and is very effective.

The surgeons at Lakeshore Orthopedic Group have extensive experience with many types of elbow surgery, including Tommy John surgery, as well as non-surgical therapies to repair and heal injuries and illnesses that affect elbows, wrists, shoulders and every other joint. A visit to our office in Chicago will permit a thorough examination and diagnosis of any type of joint problem or pain. Call us to schedule an appointment.