Warrior QB Chang to have surgery
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
University of Hawai'i quarterback Tim Chang will undergo surgery in Los Angeles to repair ligament damage in his right wrist and will not participate in spring football practice in March.
While the injury could be considered "career threatening," Dr. Darryl Kan, the team's surgeon, said, "I'm optimistic he will make a full recovery."
Chang, who is listed as the Warriors' No. 1 quarterback, is scheduled for surgery next month at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles. Dr. Norman Zemel, a consultant for the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers, will perform the surgery.
Pins will be inserted into Chang's throwing wrist, which will be placed in a cast for two months. Kan said Chang will be restricted from throwing a football for at least four months.
Chang suffered the injury when he landed awkwardly in a Sept. 29 game against Rice. A magnetic resonance imaging, a procedure that uses magnetic fields to create an image of the body's interior, showed a ligament tear between the scaphoid and lunate bones.
A few days after the MRI, it was decided that the ligament injury was either a sprain or a small tear. "The wrist continued to swell, and he was having pain when throwing," Kan said. Another medical examination confirmed the ligament tear.
Kan recommended Zemel, who successfully treated pro football player J.J. Stokes and pro basketball players Mark Madsen and Harvey Grant.
Kan said few quarterbacks have suffered this type of injury. "We don't know how it will affect his wrist and his velocity," Kan said. "But we're optimistic. We felt the tear was not exceedingly severe."
Kan said starting defensive end Travis Laboy and defensive tackle Lance Samuseva will undergo surgery to repair shoulder injuries. They are expected to miss spring practice.
Nate Jackson and Jacob Espiau — both of whom completed their UH football eligibility this month — will undergo shoulder surgery after playing in next month's Hula Bowl all-star game.
