In September 2008 Australian triple Olympic gold medalist rower Drew Ginn underwent micro-discectomy spinal surgery to repair a lower back problem caused by rowing. After winning the gold medal in the summer 2008 Beijing Olympics, Ginn needed to get surgery. He almost had to drop out of the Beijing Olympics due to a ruptured disc. He was experiencing nerve pain and ultimately discovered he had ruptured his disc, and that a fragment had broken off and been lodged in the cavity behind the disc. He pushed through the 2008 Olympics with the pain, but once it was over had a micro-discectomy to repair the ruptured disc in the L4/L5 region of his lower back. The pain had become so overbearing that surgery was Ginn’s only option. The pain in his lower back was moving down to the sciatic nerve in his leg. Micro-discectomoy’s are performed for herniated lumbar discs and effectively treat leg pain or radiculopathy. The recovery time for this procedure is about 6 weeks; Ginn had to stay in bed, only walking when movement was necessary. This is a significant amount of a time for an athlete in particular to have to remain inactive.
There are some risks associated with micro-discectomy’s such as dural tear, nerve root damage, infection, and bladder incontinence. Ginn experienced some nerve damage and deactivation of muscles around his hip, back, and right leg. The damage could be permanent but it takes about 6 months to determine that. Complications for micro-discectomy's are rare.
Ginn has had a long history of back injuries during his rowing career. He missed the Sydney Olympics due to a back injury and went through a rehabilitation process in 2000. This article provides a great case study of the dangers and severity of injuries associated with rowing athletes.
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