NFL injuries are not uncommon, and they are a big business for the physicians and medical teams who look after these players. According to the National Football League Physicians Society, at least two physicians are present at every game, and physicians even participate in recruiting new players. As noted in an article from The Washington Post, the special teams players are the most frequently injured, followed by running backs and fullbacks. Quarterbacks are the least injured players, with only one injury per 236 plays, compared with special teams players, who are injured once in every 50 plays.
While players certainly receive many bruises to their bodies, the most common injuries are to the knee, ankle, leg, shoulder and head. A quarterback will often injure his shoulder, either through overuse or trauma, but other players might more frequently injure a tendon or ligament in the leg. A torn ACL or MCL may be a career ending injury, but these injuries can often be successfully repaired by the right surgical team.
Physicians and surgeons who commonly perform surgery for NFL injuries generally have a reputation in the field of sports medicine as being the best in their business. When a player requires surgery for a knee injury, for instance, the team physician is going to refer that player to the orthopedic specialist, who is best known for treating that particular injury. With any surgeon and surgical team, the more of a specific type of surgery you perform, the better you will become at it.
It can also be quite intimidating to perform an operation on a famous athlete, who depends on his physical health in order to make a living and continue his lifestyle. If any member of that health care team (the surgical technician, the nurse or the surgeon) is nervous about the operation, the surgery may not go smoothly because of mistakes. Every operating team does its best job for each of its patients, but there is certainly added pressure when the patient is a well-known athlete.
Surgical technicians and other health care professionals working in the field of sports medicine, particularly with physicians who typically care for high-profile cases, will have proper education and certifications, as well as a reputation of performing well under stress.
