Tightrope surgery: What is the procedure that UGA star Brock Bowers had on his ankle?

After the last two seasons of success for the program, it seems this year has been filled with challenges for the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs.

The biggest so far is star tight end Brock Bowers spraining his ankle in the win over Vanderbilt last Saturday. Earlier this week, UGA announced that Bowers had tightrope surgery and gave no timetable for his return.

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It’s hard to overstate just how much of an impact Bowers has on the Bulldogs.

The tight end had been trending toward a Heisman Trophy candidate. He has more than 200 more receiving yards than UGA’s second-leading receiver this season. His four receiving touchdowns are twice as much as the next Bulldog. He also leads the team in total yards.

Since he arrived in Athens, no tight end has more receptions, receiving yards or receiving touchdowns, three categories in which the Bulldog ranks top 10 all-time in program history.

His teammates say it’s now about the next man up.

“Our morale, I guess is good. But our our whole philosophy is just next man up, you know, I mean, we got some guys that can, can make some big plays, and they’ve got a big opportunity,” offensive lineman Dylan Fairchild said.

“If you come here, you’re a good player. If you play here, you’re a good player. And the thing is, with something I guess Harrison next man up. It’s not just one player, it’s a team that makes up a whole team. So we got some guys who are going to step up. And we all believe in everybody’s here. And if everybody steps up their game, offense and defense individually, we’ll all come together as a group,” Malaki Starks said.

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While Georgia did not give a timetable for his return, Bowers could return stronger than ever thanks to a newly-developed procedure.

Tightrope surgery has been used more and more to treat high ankle sprains in elite athletes. How does it work? Surgeons drill a hole into the patient’s leg bones then slip high-strength suture through and fasten it together to bring the bones together and stabilize them.

Since it is flexible, rehab is much quicker between four and six weeks.

The surgery was made famous by Tua Tagovailoa, who got the surgery after hurting his ankle in the 2018 SEC Championship Game against Georgia. He returned the same month for the Tide’s playoff game against Oklahoma.

Other players to get the surgery include Bulldogs’ Amarius Mims and Lawson Luckie this offseason. Mims has yet to play this season while Luckie played in the Kentucky game earlier this month.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp became one of several professional players to undergo the procedure. His return was delayed this season due to a separate hamstring injury, but since coming back, he is now top 10 in yards per reception.

“I think physically shoot felt like I can do everything I wanted to,” Kupp told reporters.

“I would say I’m not really limited at this point. It’s just just being smart with it you know. Just trying to work my way back in slowly and make sure I’m you know in tip top shape when I get out there so it’s not a fall off,” Tagovailoa said.