Northwestern Doctor Weighs In On Chicago Bears TE Zach Miller's Injury
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Doctors in New Orleans are working to treat Bears tight end Zach Miller following his gruesome leg injury in a the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
In the third quarter, Miller reached high into the air and appeared to make an impressive grab in the corner of the end zone, but his left knee bent awkwardly upon landing. The call was overturned on replay review. Miller then had to be carted off the field.
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"The severity of his knee injury, just based on what I saw, was that the knee was turned in the incorrect direction pretty severely," said Andrew Hoel, Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. "That's where you can end up with a stretch or tear of the artery."
Miller's injury was treated quickly. If not, Hoel said you may start to hear the word "amputation."
"He received prompt medical attention, and I'm sure that gives him a higher chance of a good outcome, a good result," Hoel said. "But if you lose blood flow to the tissue below the knee, amputation is a possibility."
The Bears called Miller's surgery "successful." He remains at University Medical Center New Orleans for further evaluation.
The Chicago Bears released a statement regarding the injury reading:
"We are thinking of Zach and his family and support from our entire organization goes out to them," the Bears said.
