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Andrei Vasilevskiy has been instrumental in the Tampa Bay Lightning's success in the NHL. The Russian goalie proved his mettle, especially during the Lightning's Stanley Cup victories in 2021 and 2021. He was even awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2021 as Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP.
Andrei Vasilevskiy had Lightning fans worried earlier this week when it was reported that he had missed multiple training sessions before the start of preseason.
Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois announced today that Vasilevskiy has undergone succeful microdiscectomy surgery to address a lumbar disc herniation and is set to miss time.
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Vasilevskiy is expected to return in eight-10 weeks, which means the goalie will miss the first two months of the 2023-24 regular season, which starts on Oct. 10.
Also read: Steven Stamkos throws Tampa Bay Lightning GM under the bus over contract extension talks
Andrei Vasilevskiy had reported the issue in August
Per Lightning Insider Erik Erlendsson, the Russian goalie had approached the Lightning with the issue in August. The team initially used injections in attempts to treat the condition.
Vasilevskiy reportedly continued to face the issue on the first day of camp, which prompted the team to try other measures. After consulting experts, the Tampa Bay Lightning determined a microdiscectomy was the best course of action to guarantee Andrei Vasilevskiy's healthy return to the NHL.
What is a microdiscectomy?
According to Dr. Evan D. Sheha, MD on Hospital for Special Surgery:
"Microdiscectomy is a surgical procedure for the relief of pain and other symptoms that occur when a herniated disc in the spin presses on an adjacent nerve root. During the operation, the surgeon frees the nerve by removing small fragments of disc, bone and ligament."
The website mentioned that most patients recover from a herniated disc without surgery and that it's recommended only after multiple options have been tried:
"Most patients will recover from a herniated disc without surgery, microdiscectomy is recommended only after conservative treatment, including physical therapy, cortisone injections, and other medication have been tried for a period of at least 6 to 12 weeks, without bringing relief."
