Beckham Out of Surgery For Achilles Tendon

Finland's STT news agency says a doctor has completed surgery on David Beckham's Achilles' tendon and that the operation went well.

The doctor who performed surgery on David Beckham says his left Achilles' tendon was "totally torn."

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Surgeon Dr. Sakari Orava says Beckham "is doing well" and that Monday's operation lasted just under an hour at the clinic in Turku, southwestern Finland.

Orava says Beckham "will have to take it very easy during the next two to three weeks or a month and then he will continue with a recuperation program slowly."

He says the foot won't be able to "take much strain" for up to three months.

Finnish News agency STT says Beckham will stay the night at the Mehilainen clinic in Turku, southwestern Finland.

The 34-year-old midfielder was injured in the closing minutes of AC Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo Verona on Sunday.

David Beckham's loan moves from the Los Angeles Galaxy to AC Milan were solely to boost his chances of playing for England at his fourth World Cup.

Orava said before the surgery that there is a "glimmer of hope" that the injured England midfielder will recover in time for the World Cup.

A serious Achilles tendon injury while playing for the Italian club on Sunday means his international career is almost certainly over. There will be no sign of Beckham bending free kicks in South Africa in June and those in charge of the money he makes from commercial activities will have to rethink their plans.

Orava said Beckham could not be expected to be fit just three months after surgery, but that he did not rule it out.

The freak injury, which happened with not a single opponent anywhere near him, is a major blow for "brand Beckham" which relies heavily on his ability to stay in the spotlight in football's biggest events.

David Beckham is not the first high-profile athlete to go to Finland for surgery with tendon specialist Dr. Sakari Orava.

There is a long list of athletes who have sought Orava's services, such as AC Milan players Dario Simic and Giuseppe Pancaro, long jumper Andrew Howe, Olympic champion gymnast Jury Chechi and skier Peter Fill.

Like Beckham, Simic tore his Achilles' tendon while playing for Milan in 2004. Contacted by The Associated Press on Monday, Simic recalled that he had surgery with Orava in November 2004 and returned three months later.

"It was partially torn and the surgery went very well," said Simic, who now plays for French club Monaco. "I've never had any problems with my Achilles since then."

Fill had a different injury. He tore four tendons in his upper thigh and groin and two tendons in his abdomen during a fall in summer training last year.

"They were all completely torn from the bone," Fill told The AP. "I thought there was no way I would be back for the Olympics. I was already concentrating on next season. It was a very strange injury and it was suggested that I see Orava. I was told he's the best in the world at tendon repairs."

Fill had surgery Sept. 3 and was back skiing four months later, finishing eighth in the strenuous downhill in Wengen, Switzerland, in his first race back in January. He then placed 15th in the downhill at the Vancouver Olympics.

The chief physician for the Italian Winter Sports Federation, Rodolfo Tavana, formerly worked with Milan for 16 years and suggested Orava to Fill.

"I was a bit afraid when I got there because the waiting room is very small, but once they took me upstairs, everything was extremely professional and (Orava) did a great job," Fill said.

Orava placed a titanium plate and multiple screws inside Fill's body to hold his tendons together.

"He's not one of those doctors that shows up at the start of the surgery and lets others take care of the rest," Fill said. "They only gave me a local anesthetic, so I was awake the whole time and he was there from start to finish, explaining things to me as it went along and telling me it was going well.

"He followed my progress in rehab from start to finish. We mailed him the tests."