Chris Sims’ Splenic Fracture
Posted by GruntDoc on 25th September 2006
I got home from another day at the ED to this headline on CNN: SI.com: NFL quarterback loses game, then spleen
First thought? Wow, he signed a really bad contract. The article cleared some things up:
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms had his spleen removed after taking several hard hits in 26-24 loss to the Carolina
Panthers and was resting comfortably in a hospital Sunday night.
There was no immediate word on how long the fourth-year pro might be sidelined. The recuperation time for a normal person is four to six weeks, though it’s unclear how long it might take to heal enough to play football.
“Chris is doing well and we anticipate a full recovery,” team physician Dr. Joe Diaco said in a brief statement, adding the 26-year-old son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms was in stable condition…
He took a good hit according to the article, and that might have been what did it (speculation).
For those who wonder what a ruptured spleen might look like, here’s a CT illustration (mouse over for the text explanation (requires java)):
(this is NOT Chris Sims’ splenic CT; this is one with a better story I’ll tell someday).
To get an appreciation of what is involved in a laparoscopic splenectomy (I’m guessing that’s what he had, the article didn’t say, but it makes sense) here’s a demonstration.
A quick recovery to Chris Sims, and prayers for his family.
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