The Falcons received some pretty devastating news earlier this week when it was decided that Kaleb McGary would need heart surgery.
It sounds worse than it is. This is the third time McGary has had this procedure, and his life is not in danger. Still, anytime someone is getting their heart operated on, you pray things go smoothly. And according to McGary himself, they did.
https://twitter.com/KalebMcgary/status/1157315258811408384
For some more information on the injury itself, Jason Butt of The Athletic, does a terrific job breaking it down.Â
In short, McGary’s issue is an irregular heartbeat, which is not life-threatening. The surgery itself isn’t even what will cause him to miss time. Following the operation, McGary will have to be on blood thinners for six to eight weeks to avoid a blood clot. You can’t play football on blood thinners without risking internal bleeding. So he will be off the field for at least that long.
How will they know if the surgery worked?
They won’t until he has another episode as he did during Tuesday’s practice. So basically, expect McGary back in pads in about two months. If all goes well, this will be the cardiac ablation surgery that solves the issue.