Trout's surgery a 'controversial' one, says medical expert

Los Angeles Angels outfielder, and best player in baseball, Mike Trout underwent surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb on Wednesday.

Dr. Michael Hausman, chief of elbow and hand surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times that the procedure is somewhat controversial because it hasn't yet become the norm.

He explained that the procedure, known as InternalBrace, involves a heavy-duty suture to help brace the ligament, helping it heal faster than a normal recovery. The suture, however, could also cause problems.

"It’s a little controversial because the downside is this very strong suture can actually essentially saw its way through the bone," Hausman said. "That’s the concern. But it’s infrequent. Obviously, if it happens, it’s a problem. We just don’t know the denominator yet. We don’t know if it’s one in a million or one in 10."

Were that to happen, the recovery would certainly be delayed, creating a whole new set of issues.

"That’s potentially a tough problem because now you have a ruptured ligament and a big hole in the bone where the ligament is supposed to attach," Hausman said. "That becomes a challenge: How do I re-attach the ligament to the bone where I’ve just made a hole?"

Hausman did not treat Trout, but he is familiar with the injury and the procedure performed. Moura added that the Angels have not made Trout available to reporters, and his surgeon, Dr. Steven Shin, has not been granted permission to discuss the surgery.