The doctor who performed emergency surgery on USC tailback Stafon Johnson said Tuesday morning that Johnson was communicating through writing and hand signals and that he expects Johnson to make a full recovery.
Dr. Gudata Hinika, trauma medical director at California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles, performed the surgery to reconstruct Johnson’s voicebox and repair an airway in his neck. Hinika said the weightlifting accident might have been fatal if Johnson was not an athlete.
“If anyone is not athletic like Stafon, maybe they don’t survive,” Hinika said.
Johnson is not expected to compete again this season although Hinika said it was possible Johnson might play football again.
Johnson is being fed through a tube in his stomach and doctors hope to remove a ventilator that is helping him breath. He remained in “critical but stable condition,” a hospital spokesperson said.
Monthly Archives: September 2009
Night And Day
Saturday’s game at Cal will be the fourth consecutive night game between the Trojans and Bears; the previous 93 matches between the two schools, in a series that goes back to 1915 were all daytime affairs.
Morning Buzz
Pete Carroll said third downs could continue to be an issue for awhile.
Johnson Recap
Here’s a recap of Monday’s events involving tailback Stafon Johnson.
Hospital Statement
Here’s the statement from California Hospital on Stafon Johnson following more than seven hours of surgery. Doctors expect him to make a full recovery.
Continue reading “Hospital Statement” »
Another Johnson Update
A USC spokesperson said tailback Stafon Johnson remains in surgery and there is no change in the tailback’s condition.
Johnson Update
USC coach Pete Carroll said tailback Stafon Johnson is still in surgery after he dropped a weight bar on his throat. Carroll said the injury was not “life threatening” but Johnson would “be out for awhile.”
Johnson Surgery
Tailback Stafon Johnson underwent throat surgery this afternoon after dropping a weight bar on his throat.
“It was an unfortunate accident and Stafon is getting great care right now,” Coach Pete Carroll said. “We don’t have a lot of information at this point and we’ll keep everyone updated, but our thoughts and prayers are with Stafon.”
State Cuts
Fresno State coach Pat Hill is not allowed to work today because it is a state-mandated furlough day as part of the budget cuts affecting colleges and universities.
USC’s instituted a similar cutback that limits Caesar to five tweets a day.
Answer Monday! (SG Forum)
In this segment, I explain how photo savvy the Ohio State cheerleaders were at the USC game.
Continue reading “Answer Monday! (SG Forum)” »