Wizards’ Etan Thomas Has Open Heart Surgery

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 (AP)-- Washington Wizards center Etan Thomas underwent open heart surgery Thursday at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to repair a leak of the aortic valve, an irregularity discovered during a routine physical before start of training camp.

The Wizards were expected to make a statement later Thursday, and the doctor and team president Ernie Grunfeld were expected to comment Friday.

"Hopefully they can correct the problem,'' forward Antawn Jamison said following the team's practice. "We know how much he loves the game of basketball and what he means to this team, but the most important thing - you just hope that the surgery goes well.''

Whether the 29-year-old Thomas will play in the NBA again is unknown, and at the very least he will need months to recuperate before rejoining his team.

NBA veteran Fred Hoiberg was forced to retire after open-heart surgery for an aneurysm on the aortic root in 2005, but Ronny Turiaf was able to begin practicing with the Los Angeles Lakers less than six months after open-heart surgery for an enlarged aortic root that same year.
"It's always a shock when you think of his age, and you think you can play another six, seven, eight years because you're in great physical shape,'' Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. "You just can't shake it, no matter how much you have life in perspective.''

Teammates said Thomas' condition shows the necessity of having regular checkups, for professional athletes and everyone else. Guard Antonio Daniels wondered whether the Wizards' so-called "stress test'' - which involves a heart check after running on a treadmill - could have saved the life of his brother, Chris, a starting center in college at Dayton who died of a heart condition in 1996 at age 21.

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source : NBA.com