Thomas Edward John Jr., nicknamed "The Bionic Man," is an American retired professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 26 seasons between 1963 and 1989. He played for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, California Angels, and Oakland Athletics.

Why do they call it Tommy John surgery?

The goal of the surgery is to stabilize the elbow, reduce or eliminate pain and restore stability and range of motion. This procedure was introduced and first performed by Frank Jobe, M.D., on baseball pitcher Tommy John in 1974—hence the colloquial name Tommy John surgery.

What happens during Tommy John?

Tommy John surgery is performed by using a grafted tendon to replace the damaged ligament. The surgery begins with an incision on the inside of the elbow joint. Then a healthy tendon is harvested from another area of the patient's body or a donated tendon is prepared. Next, the damaged ligament is removed and replaced.