David Ortiz’s media assistant, Leon Lopez, told ESPN that “the operation lasted six hours” and doctors “had to remove part of Ortiz’s intestines and colon, as well as his gallbladder.” The future Hall of Famer also suffered liver damage. “Doctors say he is out of danger, but he is heavily sedated and will be in intensive care for the next 24 hours,” Lopez told ESPN. “Big Papi will be around for a long time.” Ortiz’s father, Leo Ortiz, echoed that prognosis: “What they have told me post-op is that the doctors believe he will recover quickly.” According to the Daily Mail, Ortiz told doctors: “Please don’t let me die, I’m a good man,” before being rushed into surgery at the Abel Gonzalez Clinic.
However, two Massachusetts trauma surgeons claim Ortiz’s injuries could be life-threatening. “All gunshot wounds can be severe, especially gunshots to the abdomen,” Dr. Peter A. Burke of Boston Medical Center told the Boston Globe. “A lot of organs were injured.” Burke added: “The fact that he survived so far is good. The downstream consequences will take time to play out. He’s made the first hurdle — he didn’t die.” Dr. Horacio M. Hojman, chief of trauma surgery at Tufts Medical Center, is reportedly concerned about the risk of infection caused by the damage to Ortiz’s colon. “We will not know probably for a week or two which way things go,” he said.
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