Markakis has surgery

[JERSEYORIOLE]

No I wasn't but I have been in similar situations and told you how these situations are generally handled. Like I said in one post, when you have swelling interfere it doesn't show up really, you can still see the stuff you are looking for, so it SEEMS like there is nothing wrong, but if you take another one with less swelling you will see new things you didn't before. It's really weird how it works. A month or two in the offseason is different than in season. And you don't know that there weren't other reasons it wasn't scheduled sooner. Maybe Nick had plans and couldn't schedule it until then (he has to agree to this and all). Maybe the doctor had a busy schedule and couldn't get him in until then. Lets see how he does with rest was the DOCTOR'S order not the team, and it was absolutely the right call. A timeline on when Nick should say that things weren't improving enough is going to be subjective on him reporting it as well.

Again, in the end we don't know exactly what happened, so we can't pass judgement either way, but in a normal medical scenario 2 months in between MRI isn't that far-fetched, so I could see it happening.

I agree that there is too much we don't know. However, I seriously doubt that the bolded part was an issue. I would think that professional athletes pretty much get in to see a doctor whenever they want or at the very least within a day or two.

[djc2e]

Does anyone else think the surgery makes it more likely that the O's keep Reimold? Reimold originally played right field.

[apollod]

1. Mulit million dollar investment

2. Cannot workout this winter

3. Will not be at full strength to start the year

4. 2nd MRI should have been taken as soon as possible

5. It was not, from what I can ascertain

You can't say for certain that it wasn't taken asap. You also don't know if it was taken asap and that this was the first available date for surgery. In short, you're jumping to conclusions and talking out of your 4th point of contact

[waroriole]

The hits just keep on coming...

Such a great movie

[allstar1579]

I agree that there is too much we don't know. However, I seriously doubt that the bolded part was an issue. I would think that professional athletes pretty much get in to see a doctor whenever they want or at the very least within a day or two.

Not as much as you think. They go see normal doctors. It was a specialist he went to see, so they have their own normal practice. If it's a GOOD specialist you can see them booked for weeks easy, athletes don't get special treatment in that sense, they have to book appointments just like anyone else. If it were a team doctor or like an ortho or something, I'm sure the team keeps them on payroll to be able to see their players ASAP. A friend of mine was the assistant for the optometrist for the team for a couple years, and aside from the team blocking out time for them to fly to ST to do exams, anything else in season they were treated just like normal patients.

[allstar1579]

Read my above post. I'm am going off of quotes from the player and what we know at this point. I am coming to a conclusion but I don't think it's jumping to conclusions. Should I give the medical staff the benefit of the doubt. The same medical staff that called Matt Hobgood's torn rotator cuff a "shoulder strain".

They said PUBLICLY that is what it was, that doesn't mean they didn't know it was torn, that is just what they announced. I've seen teams do worse.

[allstar1579]

The right fielder had an MRI after the season, but swelling in the area prohibited a clear look at the damage, Markakis said. A second MRI, after Markakis wasn't improving dramatically, revealed the extensive damage.

I'm banging my head against the wall as people have dug into their positions, but this quote says it all for me. The first MRI was inconclusive because of swelling. They didn't take a second MRI when the swelling went down. The initial thought was that it was a bone bruise and that it would heal with rest. When it didn't, a second MRI was taken. If they had not assumed it was a bone bruise, a second MRI, conceivably, could have been taken much ealier than it was. What I've said all seems logical to me. The only question is, what is the earliest a 2nd MRI could have been taken or should have at least been attempted?

Yes, but you are assuming that the 2nd MRI was much later. It could have been a week later for all you know.

[allstar1579]

It says in black and white that the 2nd MRI was taken after Markakis tried rest to let the "bone bruise" heal on it's own. Are you really going to suggest that it could have been a week later?

Does it say in black and white otherwise? If not you are assuming just like the rest of us.

[JERSEYORIOLE]

Not as much as you think. They go see normal doctors. It was a specialist he went to see, so they have their own normal practice. If it's a GOOD specialist you can see them booked for weeks easy, athletes don't get special treatment in that sense, they have to book appointments just like anyone else. If it were a team doctor or like an ortho or something, I'm sure the team keeps them on payroll to be able to see their players ASAP. A friend of mine was the assistant for the optometrist for the team for a couple years, and aside from the team blocking out time for them to fly to ST to do exams, anything else in season they were treated just like normal patients.

I find this hard to believe. But have no proof otherwise. MRI's arent even done by doctors are they? Wouldnt they just order one and you got to an MRI center. If what you say is true and this was delayed by more then a couple days because of doctors scheduling, it would be mind numbingly stupid.

[Going Underground]

So he needed surgery and might have been done two or three weeks earlier. I am not sure what the big deal is. The most important thing is that Markakis heals and that he does not do anymore damage. Also that the surgery was a success. That is more important.

[allstar1579]

I find this hard to believe. But have no proof otherwise. MRI's arent even done by doctors are they? Wouldnt they just order one and you got to an MRI center. If what you say is true and this was delayed by more then a couple days because of doctors scheduling, it would be mind numbingly stupid.

Depends on the doctor. Some will have xray or MRI equipment. The issue is that they had to send him to a specialist. If it was an abdomen specialist, and he was good, he could be booked for weeks on out. Lots of variables that no one knows was really my point. More realistically I would expect it wouldn't be more than a couple days for him to see him, but then if they don't have MRI stuff, then they have to send him to go get an MRI. Then you have to wait a day or two for results. Then he'd have to come BACK to the specialist to go over the results (or the specialist would call the original team doctor to go over results, probably more likely.)

[DrungoHazewood]

So he needed surgery and might have been done two or three weeks earlier. I am not sure what the big deal is. The most important thing is that Markakis heals and that he does not do anymore damage. Also that the surgery was a success. That is more important.

Don't be an apologist! There's a real chance that delaying this surgery slides the O's from a 69-to-73 win team to a hugely disappointing 68-to-72 win team!!

[Going Underground]

I know when Kirby Puckett went to see the Retina specialist in Baltimore,he sometimes had to wait for an appointment. Doctors are people and so are athletes. They gave him more privacy so he would not be bothered. I am sure pro athletes get a little better treatment but not as much as some people think.

[Going Underground]

Don't be an apologist! There's a real chance that delaying this surgery slides the O's from a 69-to-73 win team to a hugely disappointing 68-to-72 win team!!

And perhaps they waited to see if he needed surgery. The surgery could be worse in the long run then the two week delay What happens if he needs a followup surgery ?That is why you don't rush this. He is a person and not a racehorse.

[Flosman]

MRI s with contrast can't be done back to back without some risk. I am not saying it is the case for Nick but I really doubt he did not get very good medical treatment in this situation.