Dr. Russel Huang, a spine surgeon in Manhattan, yesterday characterized
Danilo Gallinari's upcoming back surgery as "the smallest back surgery that there is," and said he thinks that because the Knicks rookie is just 20, his prognosis is promising.
KNICKS BLOG
The Knicks announced yesterday that Gallinari will have a laminotomy on Tuesday that will sideline him for what they're saying will be 6-to-8 weeks.
The laminotomy, an operation to shave bony plates to relieve pressure on the spine, will take place at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Huang, who has been a spine surgeon at that hospital for five years, explained the procedure.
"A laminotomy is basically the smallest back surgery that there is," Huang, who will not perform the surgery, told The Post in a phone interview. "I wouldn't call it a minor surgery because it is an actual spinal surgery, but it is quite literally the smallest back surgery that a person could have. I would say that most people have a very good recovery from a laminotomy."
"I think it's a good prognosis," Huang said of Gallinari. "It's a good prognosis because at that age, he probably doesn't have a lot of disc problems."
Gallinari said he was "pretty much" convinced that the surgery, which will be handled by Dr. Patrick O'Leary and observed by an Italian neurosurgeon, will repair his back. He's had problems since last July, missing all of the preseason due to a bulging disc. He played in only 28 games during the regular season.
"It's been eight long months playing and going though the pain," Gallinari said, "so I cannot wait to feel like I used to feel some months ago."
Huang said he believed the six-to-eight-week timetable "is a reasonable estimate." Though he is optimistic about Gallinari's recovery, Huang warned of two potential issues. The first is that "it's possible for the disc to re-herniate."
He added, "The other problem is that when a disc herniates, what that really means is that the disc has begun to go bad. It's like when your tire springs a leak and starts to go flat."
Huang said that condition can cause eventual debilitating back pain, though that typically is years away. Huang said he believes Gallinari's age, athleticism and motivation make him unlikely to suffer those issues.
Gallinari has been told he likely can begin his rehab approximately 15 days after surgery. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni did not rule him out for summer league.