Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who underwent head surgery last Wednesday, was discharged from California Pacific Medical Campus in San Francisco on Tuesday afternoon.
McCarthy sustained a horrific injury that ended his season, after he sustained a Sept. 5 skull fracture after taking a line-drive to the head, after being struck by a hard shot from the Angels' Erick Aybar. At the time, officials called his situation "life threatening."
Dr. Peter Weber, the neurologist who performed the surgery at CPMC, and Dr. Allan Pont, A’s team physician, both said in a statement that felt that McCarthy had made an excellent recovery and could be safely released from the hospital.
McCarthy, 29, issued this statement upon leaving the hospital:
“From the bottom of our hearts, (my wife) Amanda and I want to thank everyone who was involved in responding to and treating my injury, starting with Dr. Weber and all the team’s medical personnel from doctors Allan Pont, Elliott Schwartz and Jon Dickinson to the Oakland A’s athletic trainers, as well as the other physicians and nurses who were on duty around the clock in the Critical Care Unit at California Pacific. We feel the same way about the ambulance driver and those who first met us at the hospital. We could not have been in better hands. "
He also thanked his teammates, and steered clear of stating the exact state of his recovery.
“We also want to express our deep appreciation to our teammates, manager and coaching staff for their concern and encouragement during the uncertain times, and also want to thank all the A’s fans who wished us well. It’s times like these when you realize you have an extended family, and feel so fortunate. Now we look forward to continuing the healing process, and returning to baseball and our normal lives in the weeks and months ahead. Go A’s!”
After the injury occurred in the fourth inning of last Wednesday’s game against the Angels, McCarthy was first rushed to Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland.
A CT Scan revealed an epidural hemorrhage, brain contusion and skull fracture, according to a news release. Later in the evening, McCarthy was transferred to California Pacific Medical Campus, where a neurosurgeon performed a second CT scan and clinical examination, which resulted in surgery to relieve pressure from the pitcher’s head.
The two-hour procedure included the evacuation of an epidural hemorrhage and the stabilization of the skull fracture.
McCarthy will remain in the Bay Area for at least the next three weeks, the team said.
