Mark Stone had his back surgery, and it was a successful one according to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Update:
Mark Stone underwent a successful lumbar discectomy with Dr. Robert Watkins, IV at Cedars Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital. He is expected to be ready to play for the regular season. #VegasBorn
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 19, 2022
The team listed the procedure as a lumbar discectomy, which isn’t something that most fans would have an in-depth knowledge of. Luckily the Internet exists, and I was able to Google it,
According to Johns Hopkins:
Lumbar discectomy is a type of surgery to fix a disc in the lower back. This surgery uses smaller cuts (incisions) than an open lumbar discectomy.
Your backbone, or spinal column, is made up of a chain of bones called the vertebrae. Your spinal cord runs through the spinal column. The bones help protect the cord from injury. Discs sit between each vertebra to provide cushioning and support. Large nerves called nerve roots lead from the spinal cord through small holes in the bones called foramen. These nerve roots send and receive signals to and from the body. The signals are sent to and from your brain through the spinal cord.
Sometimes the outer wall of one of these discs may dry out and weaken with age or injury. When this happens, the soft, inner part of the disc bulges out. This is called a herniated or bulging disc. This bulging disc can press on the spinal cord and cause symptoms such as pain, tingling, or weakness in a nearby part of the body.
After reading this blurb, it makes sense why Stone had the procedure done. He missed a lot of time throughout the season, and reportedly met with different specialists to try and pinpoint how to best treat what was ailing him. It seems that non-surgical options didn’t work, and therefore Stone had the procedure done as a next step.
The team feels he will be ready for the start of the regular season, and that’s really good news. His presence was missed throughout the year, and when he was back in the lineup it was clear that he was not at 100 percent ability.
Here’s to a speedy recover for the captain, and the hope that this will give him comfort and allow him to return back to form without any further issues.