Some sad news from the broadcast booth: legendary Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker requires additional heart surgery, only months after a valve replacement that kept him away from Miller Park for much of the 2010 season.
The surgery is necessitated by a pseudoaneurysm, or tear, at the site of his valve replacement. It is believed that this occurred due to a skin-related staph infection which entered the bloodstream and seeded itself into his surgical repair site. He acquired the infection roughly six weeks after his initial procedure on April 30 of this year. Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Cardiothoracic Surgeon Alfred C. Nicolosi, MD, performed the first surgery and will operate in Tuesday’s procedure as well.
“I’m approaching this with the same optimism that I had the first time, and I appreciate all of the kind thoughts and well wishes from Brewers fans and everyone who has reached out to me,” Uecker said. “I have the highest confidence in the doctors and staff at Froedtert Hospital and I look forward to being ready to go well before Spring Training in Arizona.”
The recovery time for the surgery is projected to be a minimum of eight weeks.
“Bob’s heart is stronger now following his initial operation and therefore I think he will tolerate this operation very well,” said James Kleczka, MD, Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Cardiologist. “I expect that he will need 8-10 weeks to fully recover, after which he will be back to life as usual.”
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