Kelly Slater’s near-flawless performance at Teahupo’o the other day is a feat the surfing world will be analysing and talking about for years to come. Posting a 19.06 during a heat at 54-years-old is a testament to the mentality of Slater.
What’s even more mind-melting; it’s now been revealed Kelly had hip surgery just nine months ago. And not just any hip surgery, Kelly’s was carried out by a robotic arm. Your typical surgery is there to get you up and mobile. Slater’s was there to defy the decades – or so it seems. Side note, does that qualify as being robotically-enhanced? Who knows.
Dr Jason Snibbe, who helmed the surgery, posted about the operation on social media.
The caption reads: “Last week, at 54 years old, he pulled into two massive barrels at Teahupo’o and posted a 19.06 heat total — near perfect surfing at the most demanding wave on tour. “The surgery was performed by Dr. Jason Snibbe using a robotic-assisted technique: a 3D surgical plan built from a CT scan, guiding the robotic arm to remove damaged bone and place the implant with a level of precision that simply wasn’t possible a decade ago.
“It’s a different category of procedure than the hip replacements most people picture — built for athletes who need their joint to hold up under real load, not just get them walking again. “Nine months later, the results speak for themselves. This isn’t just a comeback story — it’s a look at how far joint replacement technology has come, and what “recovery” can actually mean when the surgery is this advanced.”
The advances in technology are vast – here’s hoping we can all continue surfing well into out 70s, 80s and beyond.
Related: 54-Year-Old Kelly Slater Goes Near Perfect at Psycho Tahiti
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