Like Beckham, Simic tore his Achilles' tendon while playing for Milan in 2004. Contacted by The Associated Press on Monday, Simic recalled that he had surgery with Orava in November 2004 and returned three months later.
“It was partially torn and the surgery went very well,” said Simic, who now plays for French club Monaco. “I've never had any problems with my Achilles since then.” Fill had a different injury. He tore four tendons in his upper thigh and groin and two tendons in his abdomen during a fall in summer training last year.
“They were all completely torn from the bone,” Fill told The AP. “I thought there was no way I would be back for the Olympics. I was already concentrating on next season.
It was a very strange injury and it was suggested that I see Orava. I was told he's the best in the world at tendon repairs.” Fill had surgery Sept. 3 and was back skiing four months later, finishing eighth in the strenuous downhill in Wengen, Switzerland, in his first race back in January. He then placed 15th in the downhill at the Vancouver Olympics.
The chief physician for the Italian Winter Sports Federation, Rodolfo Tavana, formerly worked with Milan for 16 years and suggested Orava to Fill.
“I was a bit afraid when I got there because the waiting room is very small, but once they took me upstairs, everything was extremely professional and (Orava) did a great job,” Fill said.
Orava placed a titanium plate and multiple screws inside Fill's body to hold his tendons together.
“He's not one of those doctors that shows up at the start of the surgery and lets others take care of the rest,” Fill said. “They only gave me a local anesthetic, so I was awake the whole time and he was there from start to finish, explaining things to me as it went along and telling me it was going well.
“He followed my progress in rehab from start to finish.
We mailed him the tests.”
