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

Smith-Shawver last pitched for the Braves on May 29, 2025, before undergoing Tommy John surgery the following month. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 29 July 2026

Along with McDonald, 24-year-old right-hander Hayden Birdsong underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 July 2026

New York still has Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga under contract for next season, with Tylor Megill slated to return from Tommy John surgery. — Tim Britton, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Seymour's impressive performance with the Rays follows a challenging period, including Tommy John surgery in 2022. — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 26 July 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