Lindsey Vonn is mourning. Her career was hanging by a thread after years of knee injuries and constant pain. But in 2024, a cutting-edge knee replacement gave her a second chance. With titanium in her leg and fierce determination in her heart, she returned to the slopes, proving she wasn’t done writing history. Now, as the world bids goodbye to the legendary medical professional who revolutionized surgery, she cannot help but send a message.

“So sad to hear of the passing of Dr. David Altchek. 💔” wrote Lindsey Vonn on her X account on July 20, 2025. Dr. Altcheck had performed 2,000 Tommy John surgeries and was the New York Mets’ longtime medical director. The legendary Skier, whose career was revived after a knee replacement surgery, understands what this loss means to the world. He had announced to his colleagues that he was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year. The Hospital for Special Surgery, where he was co-chief emeritus, announced that he had passed away at 68.

Glenn S. Fleisig, biomechanics research director of the American Sports Medicine Institute, said, “While Dr. Altchek’s intelligence and innovations certainly benefited his patients — and sports medicine in general — his biggest impact was his warm, friendly, caring personality. Colleagues, friends, and patients all loved David and are thankful for the time we had with him.” Dr. David W. Altchek was an associate attending orthopedic surgeon in the Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. He earned his medical degree from Cornell and held academic appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

He was honored in 2003 with the John Jay Award, given to honor Columbia College alumni for distinguished professional achievement. Dr. Altchek served as the North American medical director for the Association of Tennis Professionals, the team surgeon for the U.S. Davis Cup Team, and sat on the medical advisory board of the New York State Athletic Commission. But perhaps his greatest achievement was the Tommy John surgery.

Altchek was a revolutionary in the Tommy John surgery. He didn’t create it – that credit goes to Dr. Frank Jobe—but he dramatically streamlined and improved it. “My first Tommy John surgery was in 1993, and I did the procedure that Dr. Jobe, Dr. Frank Jobe prescribed,” Altchek said during a 2024 interview with The Associated Press. “It took 2 1/2 hours, and I was exhausted. And I realized then that we had to do something about Tommy John surgery. We had to make it a little bit easier.”

His docking technique, developed in the early 1990s, made the procedure less invasive, safer, faster, and more reliable—benefits that have helped thousands of pitchers throughout his surgeries. Though he might have never helped Vonn with her injuries, he treated high-profile pitchers, leaving a legacy in MLB. From legends to rookies, the 68-year-old had cured many of their pain.

The MLB legacy of Dr. Altchek

Dr. David Altchek’s name became synonymous with trust in Major League Baseball clubhouses, especially those of the New York Mets. As the team’s head physician beginning in 1991 and later medical director until 2024, he was the calm, steady presence behind some of the league’s most high-stakes recoveries. Players turned to him not just for skill, but for his quiet confidence and deep care—a trait that Mets owner Steve Cohen said “earned the respect of everyone he treated and worked with“. The team owner and his wife have sent their wishes. 

When Jacob deGrom began experiencing numbness in his fingers in late 2016, Dr. Altchek stepped in to reposition the ulnar nerve in his elbow, effectively salvaging the season and allowing Spring Training readiness the following year. In 2018, catcher Travis d’Arnaud underwent UCL repair under him; though he lost the season, the surgery was a success. In March 2023, he urgently fixed closer Edwin Díaz’s torn patellar tendon, setting him on a path back to the mound after nearly two years off.

Lindsey Vonn’s ski-legend legacy is scarred by a decade of major injuries—including multiple knee reconstructions, a shattered arm, fractured ankle, and more—requiring at least nine surgeries and leaving her in near-constant pain. Retirement followed in 2019, but a robotic partial knee replacement in 2024 reignited her competitive spark. A person who has watched surgery as closely as she must feel how big a loss this is. Rest in peace, Dr. David Altchek.