Vasiliy Lomachenko underwent arthroscopic surgery Wednesday morning at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder suffered during the second round of his May 12 bout against Jorge Linares.
The surgery, performed by world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache, will preclude Lomachenko from fighting Aug. 25 as originally scheduled. Lomachenko will begin the recovery process immediately and is hopeful that he will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) and Ring Magazine lightweight titles before the end of the year.
Dr. ElAttrache said Lomachenko had the anticipated injuries in his right shoulder, resulting from a dislocation event that he sustained during his fight on May 12.
“In particular, he had an extensive labral tear, approximately 270 degrees with a small amount of cartilage damage and a bone impaction injury, all resulting in instability of the shoulder,” Dr. ElAttrache said. “He underwent an arthroscopic repair of the labrum as anticipated with no complications. Based on the result of the surgical repair, we are optimistic for an excellent prognosis and for him to return to competition at his previous level of performance.”
The WBA and RING Magazine lightweight champion is eyeing a 2018 return.