Lindsey Vonn says doctor saved her leg from amputation after Winter Olympic horror crash

Lindsey Vonn says her limb could person been amputated if not for nan heroics of her expert arsenic she reflected connected her horror clang astatine nan Winter Olympics aft yet leaving hospital.

American skier Vonn, who was a awesome contender successful nan women’s downhill, clipped a gross and fell heavy successful Cortina. connected Sunday 8 February. She had to beryllium airlifted to infirmary and complete nan past fortnight has undergone aggregate surgeries connected a analyzable limb fracture.

She returned location to nan US past week to person her 5th and last room and has now yet checked retired of hospital, opening her agelong roadworthy to recovery.

In a wheelchair for nan foreseeable future, Vonn fought backmost tears successful a video from her Colorado location but admitted that things could person gone acold worse.

“I had a analyzable tibia fracture, I besides fractured my fibia caput and nan logic it was truthful analyzable was because I had compartment syndrome,” Vonn explained connected Instagram.

“Compartment syndrome is erstwhile you person truthful overmuch trauma to 1 area that location is excessively overmuch humor and it gets stuck. It fundamentally crushes everything - muscles, nerves, tendons, it dies.

“Dr Tom Hackett saved my limb from being amputated. He did what is called a fasciotomy, he trim unfastened some sides of my limb and fto it respire and he saved me.

“It will return astir a twelvemonth for each of nan bones to heal and past I will determine if I want to return retired each nan metallic aliases not, and past spell backmost into room and yet hole my ACL. Life is life, we person to return nan punches arsenic they come.”

Vonn competed successful nan women’s downhill contempt tearing her ACL conscionable 9 days earlier nan Winter Olympics kicked off, thing that meant Dr Hackett was connected manus for nan event.

It proved a fortunate twist of destiny for Vonn, who had Dr Hackett by her broadside from nan infinitesimal she was airlifted disconnected nan slopes.

“If I hadn't torn my ACL, which I would person done anyways successful this crash, Doctor Tom Hackett wouldn't person been there,” Vonn added. “He wouldn't person been capable to prevention my leg.

“He saved my limb from being amputated. I ever talk astir everything happening for a reason... I consciousness very fortunate and grateful for him, for this six-hour surgery.”

On apical of nan analyzable limb fracture, Vonn revealed she collapsed her ankle successful nan clang and later needed a humor transfusion successful nan heavy of nan surgeries, which saw her haemoglobin driblet to a dangerously debased level.

“I was successful nan infirmary a small longer than I hoped because I had very debased haemoglobin from nan humor nonaccomplishment from each nan surgeries,” Vonn said. “I was really struggling, nan symptom was a small spot retired of power and I had to person a humor transfusion.

“That helped maine a batch and I turned nan area and now I americium out. I americium successful a wheelchair correct now, I americium very overmuch immobile and I will beryllium successful a wheelchair for a while because I besides collapsed my correct ankle.

“I dream I tin beryllium connected crutches successful a small spot but we will see.”