Just six days after coaching in the national championship, Mike Krzyzewski underwent successful hip joint replacement surgery yesterday morning at Duke Hospital.
Duke orthopedic surgeon Dr. T. Parker Vail performed the procedure, which took place a day earlier than was originally scheduled and lasted for about two hours.
This went extremely well from the beginning,<= Vail said at a press conference yesterday afternoon. He came in relaxed. From the start, we were happy with how things proceeded.<=
Krzyzewski, 52, received general anesthesia and a regional block in the left hip area to dull the post-operation pain. The replacement hip was a metal alloy prosthesis, with no cement.
Prior to the operation, cartilage between the two bones in the area was worn out, leaving no separation between the bones.
Krzyzewski will remain in the hospital for 3-5 days. The first step of his rehabilitation is to relearn simple movements such as sitting, standing and walking.
He is scheduled to get out of bed, with assistance, for the first time today. He will need crutches for about the next month, and then Krzyzewski will walk with a cane for the following few weeks, at which point he can likely resume normal activity.
The procedure, which is performed about 600 times a year at the Medical Center and 550,000 times nationwide, has a national success rate of 90 percent.
I would expect [Krzyzewski] to resume all of the duties of coaching,<= Vail said.
Mickie Krzyzewski, MikePis wife, also attended the press conference and said her husband was in good spirits. Mickie will brief the players and assistant coaches on the procedure at a team meeting today.
WePire delighted itPis done with,<= she said. WePire excited with what the doctor had to say about the prognosis.<=
Krzyzewski said the severe pain for her husband began about a year ago and worsened over the past few months, limiting the coachPis ability to move around on the sidelines like he normally does.
Duke actually had to receive special permission from the ACC allowing Quin Snyder to perform many of the active head coaching duties during games.
Krzyzewski, whom Vail said was a little bit young to develop arthritis,<= should return to the sidelines in full health, and return to his old ways.
He says hePill be a lot meaner,<= Mickie Krzyzewski said.
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