In an emotional Instagram video posted on February 23, 2026, alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn publicly thanked Dr. Tom Hackett, the Team USA orthopedic surgeon who performed emergency surgery to save her left leg from amputation following a devastating crash at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Vonn, 41, suffered a complex fracture of her left tibia, along with a broken right ankle, fibular head fracture, and tibial plateau damage just 13 seconds into the women’s downhill race on February 8 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The high-speed fall triggered severe compartment syndrome, a condition in which increased pressure within the muscle compartments can cut off blood flow, leading to tissue death and potentially requiring amputation if not treated immediately.ca65e9
In the video, released shortly after she was discharged from the hospital in Italy and moved to a hotel, Vonn described the injury in graphic detail and gave full credit to Hackett for intervening in time.
“Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg,” she said. “He saved my leg from being amputated. He did what’s called a fasciotomy, where he cut open both sides of my leg and kind of filleted it open, so to speak — let it breathe… and he saved me.”2be7bf
The six-hour fasciotomy procedure relieved the dangerous pressure by opening the connective tissue, allowing muscles, nerves, and blood vessels to recover. Vonn noted that Hackett was only present in Cortina because she had torn her left ACL in a training crash in Switzerland just nine days earlier, prompting him to travel with her as her personal physician.
“If I hadn’t torn my ACL — which I would have torn anyway with this crash — if I hadn’t done that, Tom wouldn’t have been there; he wouldn’t have been able to save my leg,” Vonn explained. “So I feel very grateful and lucky for him.”96e417
She also expressed appreciation to the Italian medical team who initially stabilized her on the mountain and in the operating room, describing her leg as having been “in pieces” after the impact. Vonn revealed she had lost significant blood, resulting in low hemoglobin levels, and underwent multiple procedures in the immediate aftermath.
The update came as a major milestone: after nearly two weeks largely immobile in a hospital bed, Vonn was well enough to leave the facility. At the time, she outlined the long road ahead, including progressing from a wheelchair to crutches, a projected year for the bones to fully heal, potential removal of surgical hardware (plates and screws), and eventual reconstruction of her torn ACL.
Vonn has since returned to the United States, where she continues intensive rehabilitation. In more recent weeks, she has shared incremental progress, including gym sessions and a determined mindset focused on healing “one day at a time,” while maintaining she has “no regrets” about competing at the Olympics despite the risks.
Dr. Hackett, a highly regarded orthopedic surgeon who has long worked with Vonn and the U.S. Ski Team, has been praised by medical experts for his swift action in a high-stakes situation. Vonn’s transparency about the injury and its near-catastrophic outcome has drawn widespread admiration from fans and fellow athletes, many of whom have flooded her social media with messages of support and gratitude for her openness.
As of mid-April 2026, Vonn remains focused on long-term recovery rather than any immediate return to skiing. Her story continues to highlight both the extreme dangers of elite alpine skiing and the critical role of expert medical intervention in athlete safety.
Vonn’s message of thanks to Dr. Hackett underscores a powerful theme in her career: resilience in the face of adversity and deep appreciation for the team behind her remarkable journey.
