American skier Lindsey Vonn shared a harrowing experience of almost losing her left leg after a severe crash during the women’s downhill event at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Vonn took to Instagram on Monday to disclose the extent of her injuries, which exceeded the initial complex tibia fracture sustained when she veered off course after hitting a gate just 13 seconds into her run on February 8.
In her social media post, the 41-year-old Vonn revealed that the crash resulted in compartment syndrome in her leg. This condition involves the buildup of excessive pressure within a muscle due to bleeding or swelling. The heightened pressure can impede blood flow and cause permanent damage if not promptly treated.
Describing the trauma, Vonn explained, “When you have so much trauma to one area of your body so that there’s too much blood and it gets stuck and it basically crushes everything.”
Vonn credited Dr. Tom Hackett, an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with Vonn and Team USA, for performing a fasciotomy to rescue her leg. She expressed gratitude, stating, “He filleted it open [and] let it breathe, and he saved me.”
Furthermore, Vonn acknowledged that Hackett’s presence in Cortina was crucial, as she was competing despite tearing the ACL in her left knee shortly before the Olympics. She emphasized the significance of Hackett’s timely intervention in preventing a potentially dire outcome.
In addition to the leg injuries, Vonn also suffered a broken right ankle in the unfortunate crash. She confirmed her discharge from the hospital following the necessary medical interventions.
