Blood clot shouldn't scare teams from Stamkos, doctors say
Forward's issue was mechanical, not a blood disorder, and is not likely to recur.
by Laura Armstrong, The Toronto Star
A blood clot might have sidelined Tampa Bay Lightning centre Steven Stamkos for a large part of last season, but it shouldn’t deter National Hockey League franchises from bidding on the soon-to-be free agent, local experts say.
Stamkos, who could reportedly command $10 million a year for up to seven years when he becomes an unrestricted free agent Friday, was sidelined from late March to late May with a blood clot near his right collarbone.
Blood clots have been known to plague, or end, other hockey players’ careers. Pittsburgh forward Pascal Dupuis was forced to retire in 2015 because of a medical condition related to clots. Goaltender Tomas Vokoun, a fellow Penguin, had to do the same in 2014, thanks to a genetic clotting condition that worsened with travel. Chicago defenceman Kimmo Timonen played just one season after clots were found in his lower right leg and both lungs in 2014, the result of a blocked shot combined with a hereditary blood disorder.
But local experts say Stamkos’s situation is unique. Unlike those athletes, his blood clot was due to a mechanical issue, rather than a blood disorder.
“When we all raise our arms above our head, we close down the angle in the vein draining our arm, between our collarbone and our first rib,” said Dr. Thomas Forbes, a vascular surgeon at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. “Some people develop what’s called venous thoracic outlet syndrome, where they present with a blood clot in their arm, typically their dominant arm.”
Forbes, who is not involved with Stamkos’s case, believes repetitive trauma from the swing action behind his right-handed shot could have contributed to the clot.
Generally, the first step in treating the syndrome is to get rid of the clot, Forbes said. Then doctors must deal with the underlying issue, the narrowing of the vein.
Stamkos underwent surgery, reportedly to treat that issue, in April.
“Typically what happens is the first rib, or the highest rib, is taken out,” Forbes said. “That relieves the compression that’s caused in the first place and the whole strategy is to try and decrease the risk of it happening again.”
McMaster University’s Dr. James Douketis, who specializes in blood clotting issues, agrees the clot shouldn’t affect Stamkos’s career in the long run.
“If the surgery is successful and the blood flow in that area is restored and it is monitored, I don’t see why he cannot continue with his professional career,” said Douketis, who was also not involved in Stamkos’s treatment.
Nor should it affect function in Stamkos’s right arm, Douketis said. The first rib is a small bone; removing it should not have any structural impact on his shoulder.
Given that positive prognosis, Greg Sutton, president of Sutton Special Risk, a local insurance company that specializes in sports, said NHL teams interested in Stamkos — a list that could include the Toronto Maple Leafs — would be able to insure the player, though there might be an exclusion on that particular condition.
If the issue is not likely to occur again it’s possible a player could be insured without such an exclusion, Sutton said.
Either way, he believes any team looking at Stamkos would probably have him go through a full physical. It is normal procedure for any new player who has previously been sidelined longer-term, no matter the injury.
“When teams are looking at committing a significant amount of money to a key player and, they’re obviously going to look at his medical and make sure that he’s healthy and hasn’t had any recent problems. It makes sense that they look at this with Steve, to see if it’s going to be a longer-term issue or not.”
