TJ Ford’s mother, Mary, heard Chen Yu’s words, and her eyes immediately grew red and moist.
"Dr. Chen, is there really no other way?"
Chen Yu sighed and nodded. "I don’t know what advancements future medical technology may bring, but as of right now, there aren’t any great options."
"He has congenital cervical spinal stenosis, not the degenerative kind caused by things like herniated discs, bone spurs, or ligament ossification. If it were the latter, we would have many treatment options."
If it were acquired, like a cervical disc herniation, the effectiveness of Chen Yu’s disc suture surgery had already been proven, with excellent recovery results.
Even bone spur growth could be addressed through minimally invasive surgery to grind them down and relieve the pressure.
But his condition is congenital, a developmental problem. That leaves only one option: cut open one side of the lamina, attach a titanium alloy plate to expand it, and then re-secure it to enlarge the internal space and reduce pressure on the spinal canal.
Just then, TJ Ford’s father, Leo Ford, spoke up. "Dr. Chen, what about conservative treatment? For example, waiting until he’s 30 and has retired to do the surgery?"
TJ Ford, lying on the bed, immediately looked toward Chen Yu as well.
They had been communicating via phone and video chat before, so many details couldn’t be fully conveyed.
Chen Yu nodded. "That is indeed an option. But I must be very clear with you: the risk of doing that is greater than the risk of the surgery. In his current condition, he technically shouldn’t be participating in strenuous sports at all. Any external impact, like a blow to the neck or a bad fall, could easily cause permanent nerve damage, resulting in quadriplegia."
Someone else might take a fall and be perfectly fine. If he takes a fall, the impact on his narrow spinal canal could suddenly cause a spinal cord contusion or even a transection. That would mean quadriplegia or a life-threatening injury.
"So, having the surgery is, relatively speaking, the best choice among all possible outcomes."
"And I can tell you this: if I’m the one performing this surgery, your risks and post-operative complications will be reduced to an absolute minimum."
This wasn’t just Chen Yu bragging.
Chen Yu was quite familiar with this type of surgery.
It was first developed by doctors in Japan in the 1980s and gradually became the most common orthopedic surgery for treating spinal stenosis worldwide.
However, recent follow-up case studies have found that after surgery via a posterior cervical approach, a very common complication can occur. In 1999, it was given a specific medical term: axial symptoms.
After the surgery, patients experience symptoms such as neck tension, stiffness, spasms, and pain that are difficult to alleviate.
Studies found the root cause was that during the procedure, in order to expose the cervical spine, the ligaments and muscles at the back of the neck were cut and separated, destroying the natural stability of the cervical muscle groups.
For an ordinary person, it might be something they could just endure.
But for a professional player like TJ Ford, the impact would be enormous.
But the spine is enveloped in ligaments and muscles. To expose it, you have to cut through them, which inevitably causes damage.
But Chen Yu was different.
With his Eye of All-Seeing, Chen Yu could choose a precise approach, minimizing the damage.
Even if the ligaments were cut, Chen Yu had ways to suture and repair them, restoring them to their original mechanical performance.
This was an advantage that no other orthopedic surgeon in the world possessed.
It was the source of his confidence.
Seeing the three still hesitating, Chen Yu glanced at his watch. "TJ, I’ve explained the situation to all of you. Without surgery, conservative treatments are useless. If you suffer an accidental injury, there’s no telling what the outcome might be."
"If you have the surgery, there’s still a risk of the connection point breaking, but that risk is at least smaller than not having the surgery at all."
"I’m going to be extremely busy over the next little while, so I need a clear decision from you by ten o’clock tomorrow morning: surgery or no surgery."
Chen Yu gave the three a nod and left the room.
Chen Yu had laid out the options. Whether to have the surgery was ultimately his own choice.
He had to continue his rounds. With so many patients to see, he had a busy morning ahead of him.
Jorg Bohme, a starting midfielder for Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga, had also been part of the National Team at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.
The poor guy had some terrible luck. He was injured early in the month during a friendly match against a 2nd Bundesliga team, suffering a second-degree tear of his right cruciate ligament.
Given Chen Yu’s track record in Germany, their head coach, Heynckes, sent him to the United States without a second thought. He had just been admitted to the hospital a few days ago.
And that wasn’t all.
Compared to Schalke 04, Dortmund had it even worse.
Yesterday, the German League Cup kicked off with an opening match between Dortmund and Bochum.
Midfielder Torsten Frings played the entire match. Afterward, he felt unbearable pain in his knee. An examination that same night revealed a ruptured cruciate ligament.
As if that weren’t enough.
His teammate, Brazilian defender Evanielson Ferreira, had it even worse. He was subbed on in the second half and twisted his knee just 12 minutes later, forcing him to be carried off the field.
An examination revealed the exact same injury as Frings: a ruptured cruciate ligament.
In a meaningless League Cup match, the team lost two players in one fell swoop. Head coach Matthias Sammer was livid and contacted Chen Yu that very night to send them over for surgery.
In the world of football, everyone knew: for ligament tears and ruptures, Chen Yu was the man to see. He always got results.
Chen Yu could only shake his head at Dortmund’s misfortune.
How did Vivian Foe almost die? By participating in the equally pointless Confederations Cup.
And Germany was no different. Holding a league cup for a paltry prize of 250,000 Euros was, to put it bluntly, just an extra burden on the players.
’The off-season is for resting and recovering. If you don’t heal your injuries during the summer, are you supposed to do it mid-season?’
Chen Yu truly felt that these kinds of meaningless cup matches and friendlies needed to be canceled.
After taking over the medical committee, Chen Yu had a long talk with Blatter about it.
But it was of limited use.
These were internal league cups held to make money. Even Blatter couldn’t stop them, let alone Chen Yu.
In the end, it was the players who had to suffer.
And it wasn’t just the Bundesliga.
There were plenty of players in the Five Major Leagues.
From Premier League Manchester United, striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been tormented for a whole season by worn-out knee cartilage and loose bone spurs from arthritis. As soon as the season ended, Ferguson sent him straight to Phoenix.
Liverpool’s midfield powerhouse, the German Dieter Hamann, had undergone tibia surgery in May, but his recovery wasn’t going as expected and he suffered another stress fracture. Liverpool wasted no time and sent him directly to Phoenix.
And more players like them would continue to arrive for surgery.
Besides football, there were athletes from other fields as well.
Former French sprinting star and three-time Olympic gold medalist, Mary Jose Perec, had also made an appointment with Chen Yu a couple of days ago and was due to arrive soon.
Sciatica, and the resulting back pain, had plagued her for three years.
She had originally planned to make a comeback this August to compete in the World Championships in Athletics in Paris.
But unfortunately, that ended up being nothing more than wishful thinking.
With this hope dashed, she began to consider retirement. It was on the recommendation of friends in her circle that she decided to come to Phoenix to see Chen Yu for one last try.
It was past eleven in the morning by the time Chen Yu reached his last stop on his rounds.
A tennis player named Anna Kournikova.
She had been admitted for foot and back injuries, arriving in early July. She had already been at the clinic for two weeks.
As he reached her room and was about to open the door, it swung open from the inside.
A tall Kobe was walking out, talking to someone over his shoulder, and nearly bumped right into Chen Yu.
"Chen!"
Seeing Chen Yu, Kobe jumped and quickly grabbed the doorframe for support.
The guy was still on crutches, recovering from his knee surgery.
"Chen, what are you doing here?" Kobe asked, looking flustered.
’What a stupid question. I’m a doctor. Why do you think I’m at a patient’s room?’
"What are *you* doing here? Didn’t I tell you to get some rest?" Chen Yu retorted.
"N-Nothing. I was just talking with Anna," Kobe said, his face a mask of awkwardness.
Chen Yu glanced at Kournikova inside the room.
Even in a hospital gown, her lovely features were impossible to hide.
The young woman was only 22, a world-famous beauty in the tennis world, and had even been named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by *People* magazine.
Noticing Chen Yu’s gaze, Kournikova also gave a slightly unnatural smile.
"You should head back now."
Chen Yu stepped aside.
Kobe quickly hobbled away on his crutches.
Watching him go, Chen Yu sighed inwardly.
’Who knows what those two were doing behind a closed door. It’s understandable, though. Kournikova is a famous beauty in the sports world. Of course, there are plenty of women as beautiful as her, but she’s famous and a professional tennis player. That combination of status is a huge draw for a young, rich, and famous star like Kobe.’
’But he needs to be careful. He shouldn’t forget he has a wife and kids. And more importantly, I think Kournikova is married too.’
’Then again, maybe I’m overthinking it. They’re both athletes, both injured. It’s perfectly normal for them to get together and chat.’
Chen Yu entered the room.
Kournikova, sitting on the bed, gave a slightly shy smile and greeted him.
Chen Yu nodded, picking up the medical chart beside her to look at the scans.
Seeing Chen Yu staring intently in her direction, Kournikova mistakenly thought he was about to perform a physical exam. She quickly lay face down on the bed, rubbing her lower back. "Dr. Chen, it’s right about here. It’s been hurting for half a year. Other doctors told me it’s a herniated disc and back muscle spasms."
’Her butt is pretty toned,’ Chen Yu noted idly.
He wasn’t particularly interested in staring, however. "Anna, the US Open is next month. What are your thoughts? If you have surgery, you definitely won’t be able to compete."
"You’re still young, only 22. At your age, surgery could be a permanent solution. But conservative treatment without surgery is also an option."
"It’s the same with your ankle. The cartilage wear is causing pain, mainly from inflammation. It’s not a major issue. We could also do a minimally invasive procedure to remove the bone spurs and relieve the symptoms."
"But like I said, if you choose surgery, you definitely won’t make it to the US Open."
Kournikova had been in the hospital for a while and had clearly given it a lot of thought. "Dr. Chen, if I stop competing, will conservative treatment be enough to completely solve my pain issues?"
Chen Yu was taken aback.
’Stop competing?’
"In that case, yes, absolutely. Like I said, you’re only 22. Your body is young. Your back and foot injuries are caused by long-term athletic activity. If you stop high-intensity training and competition, the pain will certainly ease."
Kournikova said immediately, "Then I’ll choose conservative treatment."
Seeing Chen Yu’s confused expression, Kournikova smiled sheepishly and explained, "Actually, I’ve already decided to retire."
This stunned Chen Yu yet again.
’22 years old? In the prime of her career? And she’s retiring over a minor injury like this?’
Shaking off his surprise, Chen Yu quickly composed himself. He opened the door and asked a nurse to bring supplies for Acupuncture, then sat down beside the bed.
"Alright then, sit up and take off your shirt."
It was her personal decision. What could Chen Yu say?

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