USC running back Stafon Johnson was hospitalized in critical but stable condition today after over seven hours of surgery for injuries suffered while weightlifting. The specialized surgery was required because of a threatened airway and severe injuries to Johnson's larynx, according to Dr. Gordon Hinika, trauma medical center director at California Hospital Medical Center.
According to Hinika, it is unlikely Johnson will play again this season, but doctors expect a full recovery. "Stafon is doing very well," Hinika said. "He underwent very successful surgery, as we stated yesterday was over seven hours. He rested well. Actually, this morning, he's communicating with his mother and his USC team."
Johnson was bench pressing with a spotter at a USC weight room around 11 a.m. Monday when the bar slipped out of his right hand and fell at an angle on his throat, according to a statement released by the university.
Hinika said doctors were weaning Johnson off a ventilator. He said the surgery was required to repair Johnson's airway, noting that the structure around the running back's vocal chords was "fractured and displaced."
"This is ... a very, very rare injury, especially from weightlifting," he said. "These are the type of injuries usually it (happened) in the old days when people did not wear a seat belt, and you get an accident and you're thrown through a windshield."
The bench press is commonly regarded as one of the safest exercises in the weight room, especially with a spotter, said strength and conditioning coach Chris Carlisle, who was within 10 feet of Johnson when the accident occurred.
Johnson, a 5 foot 11 inch, 210-pound senior, rushed for 157 yards on 32 carries and a team-high five touchdowns this year. He was USC's leading rusher in 2008 with 705 yards.
This report was prepared using information from City News Service. Source www.scpr.org
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