Lindsey Vonn Says Surgery Saved Leg After Olympic Crash
Vonn said on Feb. 23 that Dr. Tom Hackett performed a fasciotomy that prevented amputation after her Feb. 8 Olympic crash; she has had five surgeries and returned to the U.S. on Feb. 17.
Daily BeastOlympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Shares Graphic Details of Her Brutal Leg Injury
New York Daily NewsLindsey Vonn says surgery saved leg from being amputated after Olympic crash
NPR'Everything was in pieces:' Lindsey Vonn describes grueling surgery on broken leg
Daily CallerOlympian Reveals She Narrowly Evaded Amputation After Horrific Injury
Overview
On Feb. 23 Lindsey Vonn said Dr. Tom Hackett performed a fasciotomy that saved her left leg from near-amputation following her Feb. 8 Olympic crash.
Vonn’s crash 13 seconds into the women’s downhill at the Milano Cortina Olympics on Feb. 8 produced a complex tibia fracture and compartment syndrome that threatened tissue and circulation, she said.
Vonn credited Italian doctors and Team USA physician Dr. Tom Hackett for multiple emergency operations, and said she received a blood transfusion for low hemoglobin, according to her Instagram video.
Vonn said she had five surgeries since the Feb. 8 crash, spent a little over a week hospitalized in Italy, and returned to the United States on Feb. 17 for further treatment.
Vonn, 41, said she will focus on rehab to progress from a wheelchair to crutches in a few weeks, expects around a year for bones to heal, and may need additional surgeries later.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Vonn's story as a dramatic medical survival and personal-heroism narrative, emphasizing surgical details and rescue from amputation. Editorial choices — vivid descriptors ('brutal crash'), prioritizing Vonn's emotional quotes and surgeon commentary, and structuring coverage around injury, emergency care and recovery — collectively heighten drama and resilience.
FAQ
A fasciotomy is a surgery that cuts open the fascia to relieve pressure from compartment syndrome, which Vonn developed after her crash, preventing amputation by restoring blood flow to her leg.[1]
Vonn suffered a complex tibia fracture, fibular head fracture, tibial plateau fracture, compartment syndrome in her left leg, and a broken right ankle.[1]
Dr. Tom Hackett, Team USA orthopedic surgeon, performed the fasciotomy; he was in Italy because Vonn had torn her ACL earlier, requiring his presence.[1]
Vonn had five surgeries, a hospital stay of over a week in Italy, returned to the U.S. on Feb. 17, expects to progress from wheelchair to crutches in weeks, crutches for months, and about a year for bone healing.
Vonn crashed 13 seconds into the women's downhill on Feb. 8 at Milano Cortina, clipping a flag or gate, flying sideways, and hitting her head; she was airlifted off the course.[1]
