Tommy John surgery

noun

Tom·​my John surgery ˈtä-mē-ˈjän- 

plural Tommy John surgeries

: a surgical procedure in which a torn ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow is replaced with a tendon graft typically obtained from a superficial muscle of the forearm : ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction

Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the medical director for the Cincinnati Reds, specializes in an elbow-ligament reconstruction procedure commonly known as Tommy John surgery, named for the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who first underwent it, in 1974.

—Sara Corbett

But as an outfielder he hurt his throwing arm and had to have Tommy John surgery before the year was out.

—Kelli Anderson

Examples of Tommy John surgery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Boone said that Gerrit Cole, recovering from Tommy John surgery, threw on Monday. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026

This marks the second UCL surgery for Horton, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 before his freshman year at Oklahoma. —Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026

The lefty underwent his second Tommy John surgery in August 2023 and then missed the entire 2025 season due to an inflamed nerve in his left triceps. —CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026

Along with Buttó, right-hander Hayden Birdsong underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery, while right-handers Joel Peguero (Grade 2 hamstring strain) and left-hander Reiver Sanmartin (right hip flexor) sustained injuries that delayed the starts to their seasons. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

after Tommy John (Thomas Edward John, Jr. born 1943), U.S. baseball player who underwent the surgery in 1974

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Tommy John surgery

• radiosurgery
• cryosurgery
• microsurgery
• neurosurgery
• psychosurgery
• perjury

Medical Definition

Tommy John surgery

noun

Tom·​my John surgery ˈtäm-ē-ˈjän- 

: ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction