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

The 31-year-old Buehler, once one of the top pitchers in the National League, has not been near the same pitcher since undergoing a second Tommy John surgery and missing the 2023 season. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026

Minnesota Twins right-hander Pablo López has a significant tear in his elbow and will likely need Tommy John surgery, the team announced Tuesday. —CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026

And right-hander Jeff Criswell, who underwent Tommy John surgery last spring, remains on the 60-day IL. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026

San Francisco signed Wick to a one-year deal with a club option for 2027 on Friday, and Wick will spend the ’26 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 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