Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 71 - 70: Fleeting Like a Shooting Star

In comparison, it was much better to choose an artificial ligament, which was several times stronger than an autograft.

Although it had a limited lifespan, it was more suitable for athletes. In the worst-case scenario, it could be removed and replaced with an autograft reconstruction after his career ended.

Nelson thought for a moment and said, "Richard has his own considerations."

Chen Yu said nothing more, looking at the medical records and contemplating a course of action.

Perhaps seeing Chen Yu’s troubled expression, Gugliotta added, "Chen, if there’s nothing you can do, then forget it. At least I can still play."

If he had another surgery, it would mean another lost season.

He’d already signed a big contract anyway, and it was likely the last one of his career. He had come to terms with the fact that he might never return to his former condition.

Nearby, Nelson thought silently, ’You might have come to terms with it, but Brian sure hasn’t. He looks like he wants to die.’

Chen Yu glanced at Gugliotta’s knee again.

He had surgery last March, and after a summer of rehabilitation, he was able to get back on the court. His recovery had actually been quite good.

A very skilled professional must have handled his rehabilitation plan.

The kind of person who was leagues ahead of Houston.

’Was it Nelson?’

Chen Yu looked up at the man, who bore a striking resemblance to Tom Hanks. He was the head trainer for the Phoenix Suns.

The medical departments of teams around the league were structured differently. For a team like the Magic, the head trainer was Daniel, who was only responsible for training, while physical therapy and rehabilitation were handled by Houston.

But with the Phoenix Suns, Nelson had a medical background and was responsible not only for training but also for rehabilitation.

So, this guy had to be an expert.

Now, in the middle of the season, with Gugliotta still able to play, albeit with difficulty, choosing to perform another surgery to implant an artificial ligament wasn’t realistic.

Chen Yu said, "Tom, your current condition is still within a manageable range. You shouldn’t undergo surgery. After this season ends, we can consider an arthroscopic procedure to implant an artificial ligament and restore function to your knee. For now, we should focus on rehabilitation and maintenance."

A surgery like that could be done arthroscopically. The recovery period would be shorter—about three months—which would be perfect to do over the summer.

’For now, I’ll have to rely on the System.’

Gugliotta chuckled and nodded. If Brian hadn’t insisted, he wouldn’t have even come for the consultation.

Nelson also nodded silently nearby. At least Chen Yu wasn’t a doctor who blindly believed surgery was the only answer. Of course, Hardaway was a different story. In his case, surgery was absolutely necessary.

After discussing Gugliotta’s situation with Brian a bit more, Chen Yu saw him off.

Brian’s face was full of helplessness, but there was nothing he could do.

"What about Anfernee? When is he coming?" Brian asked.

Chen Yu glanced at the wall clock. It was eight minutes past ten.

’That guy... he didn’t actually back out, did he?’

Just as he was thinking this, the door was pushed open, and Hardaway appeared, accompanied by Boston.

Chen Yu snorted softly. "I was starting to think you weren’t coming."

"Traffic."

Hardaway stepped forward and suddenly extended his right hand.

Chen Yu froze. ’What’s this about?’

Hardaway took Chen Yu’s left hand with his own, grasped it, and said with a determined gaze, "Let’s give it one more shot."

Chen Yu gave a bemused nod.

The other two people in the room, however, were completely confused. What were they giving one more shot?

Hardaway had arrived as promised. The next step was to admit him to the hospital and begin pre-operative preparations.

Wash and her companion arrived the next morning.

Chen Yu went to the side entrance to greet them. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Wash walking briskly toward him, dragging a small suitcase. She was wearing a striped shirt and sunglasses, her blonde hair loose on her shoulders.

Trailing behind her was Julian Kopke, who was dressed as if she were on vacation.

"Chen!"

Wash smiled brightly as she stepped forward to hug Chen Yu. "You’re a big celebrity now," she said.

Just over two months ago at Mayo, Chen Yu had been a nobody whom Billings had pointed at and called a rookie. Now, at least in the basketball world, Chen Yu’s reputation was considerable. The media had dubbed him "the man who brought Hill back to his peak."

Just as Chen Yu was about to speak, a crowd of reporters suddenly rushed toward them from the right.

Chen Yu’s expression changed slightly, and he quickly gestured for Wash to go inside.

"That’s a lot of reporters," Julian said in surprise.

Chen Yu thought, ’This is nothing. Wait until the press conference about his condition. That’ll really open your eyes.’

"You know, he’s Penny."

A nationally famous star wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

Wash nodded silently, instantly feeling the pressure.

As he led the two of them toward his office, they were chatting when Chen Yu’s phone rang.

He pulled it out and saw it was a call from Tracy McGrady.

"You’re calling to ask about Hardaway, aren’t you," Chen Yu immediately guessed.

Tracy McGrady said, "Chen, Anfernee’s going to be okay, right?"

Chen Yu laughed. "What kind of question is that? Don’t you trust my skills?"

"No," Tracy McGrady denied it hastily. Hill’s current red-hot form was a testament to Chen Yu’s work.

Chen Yu didn’t say much more. "Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him. But what about you? Is Pleasance still training you guys to death?"

Tracy McGrady had congenital scoliosis; he needed to be careful and get enough rest.

Tracy McGrady said, "Mr. Weisbrod talked to him, so he’s not training us as hard anymore."

Most importantly, with Hill’s return, the Magic’s record was improving, so Pleasance wasn’t under as much pressure.

"That’s good." It was Chen Yu who had specifically called Weisbrod, using the excuse that the recently-returned Hill couldn’t be over-trained, and had asked him to talk to Pleasance.

’If they keep training like Pleasance wants, and I’m not there to watch over them, something bad is bound to happen.’

After they arrived at the office and exchanged some pleasantries, Chen Yu explained Hardaway’s condition and the planned surgical procedure to Wash.

After listening patiently, Wash couldn’t help but shiver.

"Ligament repair, meniscus repair, and a microfracture surgery—three procedures all at once. Especially the ACL. It’s not just a Grade 2 mid-substance tear; there’s also an avulsion fracture at the insertion point of the posterolateral bundle on the proximal tibia. That’ll require fixation with staples. And on top of that, the microfracture surgery... tsk tsk."

Wash winced as she looked at the MRI scans. In her opinion, it would be better to do the procedures separately. The difficulty of doing them all at once was too great.

How to properly drill the bone tunnels was something orthopedics hadn’t even fully figured out after so many years of development.

Chen Yu smiled without saying a word, but he thought to himself, ’The difficulty of the surgery is nothing. It’s just a bit of hammering and chiseling.’

The truly difficult part was the post-operative rehabilitation.

But he had been preparing for this surgery for so long; there was no reason to back down now.