- NFL Hall of Famer and Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders said he had two toes amputated.
- Sanders said he had to have his toes amputated because of blood clots stemming from a previous surgery.
- Being sedentary after joint surgery can lead to blood clots.
On a recent episode of the "Coach Prime" documentary series, former NFL star and Jackson State head football coach Deion Sanders said he had two toes on his left foot amputated shortly after his initial foot surgery in September 2021.
The 54-year-old Hall of Famer said his toes were amputated because of a femoral arterial blood clot in his left foot, which stemmed from the foot surgery, and he developed compartment syndrome — a condition in which muscle pressure reaches dangerous levels and can limit the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients to muscles and nerves, according to WebMD.
Sanders was hospitalized shortly after surgery, he said in an Instagram post, and was forced to miss three games for Jackson State while he recovered.
—Kevin Batiste (@KBatisteJr) November 13, 2021
"They were talking about the amputation of toes," he said. "Then they were talking about the amputation of my leg from the knee down. Then, they were trying to ensure I had life."
Sanders said he spent 23 days in the hospital and lost 40 pounds during that time, in an interview with Andscape. He added that he needed help to get in and out of bed and to use the bathroom after his release from the hospital.
"The hardest thing of it all was to look down there and see that and understand that once upon a time you were this type of athlete and you don't know if you're gonna walk because all you feel is just pain, and you just wanna get out of this hospital," he said.
Being sedentary after joint surgery can lead to blood clots
Sanders, who spent 14 years in the NFL, experienced a turf toe injury on the big toe on his left foot in 1998 and said that he hasn't been able to feel the toe ever since, during a 2018 appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. Sanders' big left toe is also one of the two that had to be amputated, he said.
People who undergo joint surgeries could have a higher risk of post-op blood clots, Dr. Peter Vitanzo, a sports medicine specialist with the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia previously told Sports Illustrated.
"These surgeries—like joint surgeries, where you're going to be laid up for a period of time and you're not able to use your legs like you normally would—does predispose you to getting these clots," Vitanzo said.