((HT: MyFoxHouston))
Houston Rockets center Yao Ming ((pictured, thanks Fox 26)) has decided to have surgery next week on his broken left foot and will miss all of the 2009-2010 NBA season.
In an e-mail to FOX 26 Sports on Friday, Yao explained why he elected to undergo surgery.
"I have considered many options and listened to many opinions and I have decided that having surgery at this time is the best way to go," Yao said. "I expect to return 100% healthy for the 2010-2011 NBA season, and have a long, productive career playing basketball."
The Rockets organization announced that Dr. Tom Clanton at the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute, who has operated on Yao's foot before, will perform the surgery.
"He's a true champion and a great competitor and a great Rocket," said Leslie Alexander, Rockets owner in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "We obviously hope and pray that he'll heal perfectly and come back and play for the Rockets for a long time."
According to the Rockets, one of the procedures Yao will undergo will involve a bone graft in the navicular bone of his left foot in order to promote bone regeneration.
Dr. Clanton will also perform a surgical procedure designed to reduce the arch in Yao's left foot by realigning and restructuring the bones in the foot.
"This combination of procedures should not only allow healing of his navicular stress fracture, but also improve the mechanics of his left foot to reduce the stress on that bone and give him the best long-term prognosis," said Dr. Clanton in a statement.
"This surgical option is similiar to the successful procedure used by Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas in 2001."
The Rockets said no timetable has been set for Yao's return to action, but the team expects him to be ready for training camp in 2010.
"Yao and the Rockets conducted due diligence in seeking a number of expert opinions regarding the medical options," said Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey in a statement. "The consensus opinion was that he undergo a procedure to heal and realign the foot.
"We will implement all the resources available to help him make a complete and successful recovery."
Rockets forward Luis Scola has been following the events surrounding Yao.
"It's always hard," Scola said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports from Buenos Aires, Argentina. "Yao is a huge part of our team. He's the face of the organization. He's the face of the team. Everything we do on the court goes around him.
"It's really hard for us to start focusing on how we are going to play and how we are going to change everything because he's not going to be able to play with us."
Scola said that while Yao having to have surgery "is a bad situation," the fact that he is having it now is much better than it occurring during the season.
"It if happens in the middle of the season it's always worse," Scola said. "Now we can prepare for it."
Rockets forward Carl Landry agrees.
"Yao is our big guy in the middle," Landry said. "He draws the double-teams and makes all of our jobs a lot easier.
"We are all going have step up with Yao not there."
Landry points out issues like this are commonplace to the Rockets.
"We've played with out Yao, Tracy (McGrady), Ron (Artest), and Shane (Battier)" Landry said. "We've all grown because of it.
"We are all going to have to carry the weight now that Yao is not going to be around."
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