According to stories posted on his Instagram page, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Tyler Clary is recovering after undergoing open heart surgery yesterday. Clary informed his fans and followers about the surgery earlier this week, explaining that doctors had discovered that he had a “leaky aortic valve” that was only discovered last October. While serious, the valve didn’t prevent him from being an elite swimmer, including capturing a gold medal in the 200 back at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Per the Instagram updates, the surgery proved to be more challenging than initially anticipated, but the surgeons were able to complete the repair, instead of having to completely remove and replace the leaky valve. According to the Mayo Clinic, valve repair is the preferred method when possible, but valve replacement is more common since most valves cannot be successfully repaired.
Below we’ve included transcripts of the last three Instagram story updates from Clary’s page.
Friday Afternoon Update
We just heard from the Surgical Fellow on the case. They said it was a VERY challenging repair which is why it took an additional 3-4 hours, but they are currently closing him and then will move him to the ICU. He said 99% of the surgeons would have just cut out the valve and replaced it, but we came to the best and got the best. They had to think on the fly and come up with a new solution, but they did it.
@staclary & I will hopefully be able to see Tyler within the next 2-3 hours.
Thank you all again for your outpouring of love, prayers, and support!
Friday Evening Update
Tyler is groggy but awake in the ICU. They unfortunately had to keep his breathing tube in longer than anticipated due to the longevity of the surgery, but it has now been removed.
Tomorrow he will begin standing and walking again before eventually being sent down to the step down unit for the remainder his recovery at the hospital.
Thank you all so much for your continued love, prayers, and support.
Saturday Morning Update
Tyler should be moved to the step down unit this afternoon. He had a lot of pain this morning from the incision and chest tubes, but it is much more tolerable now after some additional meds.
He should hopefully begin standing and walking some later today.
Thank you all for your continued prayers…
He can draw on the patience and endurance he developed as a competitive swimmer as he recovers from his surgery.
It won’t be easy but I hope he’s comforted by the support of his family, friends, and fans.
It is a tough surgery. He will recover slowly, at first, then pick up speed. Only thing that counts is do a little bit more physical activity every day. First few days are toughest; things like opening a door, not driving a vehicle for a month or so, sneezing (yeah, it is hard), rolling over. As the chest heals, he will feel better and want more activity. If I recall correctly, I believe the in hospital goal was 1,000 steps a day(and that may have changed), and the final exam was to successfully climb a flight of stairs. Hope he progresses quickly and well.
A speedy recovery to him! Sounds excruciating.
So glad it was a repair instead of a replacement, though that surgery sounds painful.
It’s crazy to think that he had such an amazing career in spite of his heart barely working…
There is nothing comfortable in reading this or thinking about what he’s going through physically right now. I thought a 3-inch incision for a shoulder surgery hurt a lot.
I loved watching this guy race. An ultimate competitor. This story stopped me cold when I heard this week, and these updates underscore how challenging this is and will be for Tyler. An American legend. Wishing him the fastest recovery.
Go Blue!
Raced and trained like a champion, I’m sure he’ll recover like one too! In my thoughts and prayers.