Surgery

In rejecting PSA screening for prostate cancer, an influential federal panel has chipped a cornerstone of preventive medicine, declaring that it's not always best to catch cancer as early as possible. "At best, PSA screening may help only 1 man in 1,000 avoid death from prostate cancer," the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said Monday. "Most prostate cancers found by PSA screening are slow growing, not life threatening, and will not cause a man any harm during his lifetime.

Ryan Howard felt a tiny pinch Sept. 18 when a team physician's needle penetrated the numbed surface of a left heel that had been throbbing red-hot for weeks. Within seconds, the syringe's milky mixture of cortisone and painkiller rushed warmly into the tiny, inflamed bursa sac at the base of the slugger's Achilles tendon. Howard and the Phillies were rolling the dice. They hoped the cortisone would ease the pain and, after a brief rest, return him to form for the fast-approaching postseason.

The Flyers released their postseason injury report Saturday, and it included three players who recently had surgery, and two players who will have operations this week, according to general manager Paul Holmgren. Star center Claude Giroux, who had said Scott Hartnell took some of his playoff faceoffs to give him some work, had surgery on both wrists. The 24-year-old Giroux had surgery on his right wrist to repair torn cartilage, and on his left wrist to remove bone spurs. Recovery time is six weeks.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - It was 10:03 a.m. Wednesday when I carefully pushed through the glass doors that lead to the bullpen and infield diamond that sits below the main entrance to Bright House Field. A light rain fell as I turned right, walked about 30 yards, and headed toward the Carpenter Complex Fields, where I have watched men stretch, throw, hit, run, and play baseball since Mike Schmidt's final spring training as a player in 1989. I didn't know I was being watched. As I passed the closed weight room and neared the steps that lead up to Frenchy's Tiki Bar in left field at the Phillies' spring-training home, I could hear men talking on two-way radios.

NEW YORK GIANTS defensive end Osi Umenyiora is having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and likely will miss the season opener on Sept. 11. General manager Jerry Reese says yesterday that Umenyiora "let me know that he wanted to have the surgery now. " Umenyiora has been a headline all summer, as he did not report to training camp with the team following the lockout. Finally, on Monday, he unhappily reported under the terms of his current deal, and worked out for 3 days before his knee began to swell.

First, Flyers goalie Robert Esche had to bear being on the losing end of the NHL Eastern Conference finals. Now, Esche apparently has lost a chance to compete in the World Cup in September. Officials from Team USA said yesterday that Esche, a member of the 26-player roster set to defend Team USA's World Cup title, will have surgery on his left hip Tuesday in Pittsburgh. He is expected to be out of action for three to four months but available for Flyers training camp in mid-September if a collective-bargaining agreement is reached.

Five Flyers will undergo offseason surgery, general manager Paul Holmgren said Tuesday - and that doesn't include defenseman Chris Pronger, whose back condition still is being evaluated by doctors. The five players headed for surgery: Mike Richards (wrist), Andrej Meszaros (wrist), Kris Versteeg (sports hernia), Michael Leighton (hip), and Blair Betts (finger). Scott Hartnell and Jeff Carter also are being evaluated for possible hip surgery, Holmgren said, adding that he hopes to know their medical status on Friday.

Eagles tackle Joe Conwell will be sidelined until at least the start of training camp because of surgery to repair an injured cervical disk. Conwell, who started all 12 regular games for the Eagles last season, entered Germantown Hospital yesterday for two days of tests and was scheduled for surgery tomorrow. "Joe's neck has been bothering him since the end of the season and as it has not responded to rest, our doctors feel the surgery is necessary," Eagles trainer Otho Davis said.

Flyers left winger Simon Gagne underwent successful surgery yesterday at Pennsylvania Hospital to repair his partially dislocated left shoulder and a small tear in his labrum. "He's doing well," said team orthopedic surgeon, Art Bartolozzi, who performed the approximate 90-minute surgery along with Peter DeLuca. Trainer John Worley observed. Bartolozzi said as soon as Gagne's pain subsides, he will begin rehabilitation. Gagne dislocated the shoulder on Feb. 24 against Tampa Bay when he threw an errant punch that missed Lightning forward Andrei Zyuzin.

New York Mets pitcher Bill Pulsipher will undergo season-ending surgery on his left elbow Wednesday to repair a torn ligament. Prominent sports surgeon James Andrews will operate in Birmingham, Ala., the Mets said yesterday. Pulsipher, 22, hurt himself in spring training. He got two opinions on the injuries, and both doctors recommended surgery. In other news: REDS: SCORES ARE BACK The Cincinnati Reds renewed their SportsTicker service that provides out-of-town scores when a local bank agreed to pay the roughly $11 a day for the service, which owner Marge Schott had axed in a cost-cutting measure.

A visit to orthopedic surgeon James Andrews confirmed the Phillies' diagnosis of a bone chip and inflammation in Vance Worley's right elbow. Andrews immediately ruled out any serious problem with Worley's ulnar collateral ligament - which means no Tommy John surgery is needed. "Immediately after he grabbed my arm, he knew it wasn't Tommy John," said Worley, who visited the specialist in Pensacola, Fla. "Now I just have to go out and get it going. " Worley was not immediately sure of the plan for his return to the field.

A visit to renowned orthopedic surgeon James Andrews confirmed the Phillies' diagnosis of a bone chip and inflammation in Vance Worley's right elbow. The good news is that Andrews immediately ruled out any serious problem with Worley's ulnar collateral ligament. "Immediately after he grabbed my arm, he knew it wasn't Tommy John," said Worley, who visited the specialist in Pensacola, Fla. "Now I just have to go out and get it going. " Worley was not immediately sure of the plan for his return to the field.

Higher prices for visits to doctors, surgery, and drugs were the main cause of higher health-care costs for privately insured Americans in 2010, when overall utilization of health-care services was down, a report by the Health Care Cost Institute in Washington, said Monday. The report, using data provided by Aetna, Humana, and United Healthcare, analyzed three billion claims for 33 million individuals covered by employer-based health insurance from 2007 through 2010. "For the first time, we have comprehensive data on the privately insured.

The Flyers released their postseason injury report Saturday, and it included three players who recently had surgery, and two players who will have operations this week, according to general manager Paul Holmgren. Star center Claude Giroux, who had said Scott Hartnell took some of his playoff faceoffs to give him some work, had surgery on both wrists. The 24-year-old Giroux had surgery on his right wrist to repair torn cartilage, and on his left wrist to remove bone spurs. Recovery time is six weeks.

SUSPENDED FORMER Saints defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove says that he is disappointed his sworn statement regarding the NFL's bounty investigation was leaked and also that the league has "grossly mischaracterized" his words. In a statement emailed to the Associated Press on Wednesday by his agent, Phil Williams, Hargrove said he hoped the NFL would not discuss the signed declaration publicly. "Call me naive, but I did not expect them to publicize the fact that I had sent them 'the Declaration.' But since they did, and because they grossly mischaracterized my words, it obviously became a hot item and subsequently was leaked by someone," Hargrove's statement said.

AMONG the dramatic changes just proposed by the School District, there is one that could be more radical than the rest. If the School Reform Commission adopts the plan, as it is expected to do, it will actually be reforming the system — perhaps for the first time since its creation. The value and impact of those reforms need further details and debate, but the sweeping plan introduced Tuesday will fundamentally change the district's size, operations and management. The plan calls for: Closing 40 schools in 2013, and 24 more over the following four years, reducing the total number of schools by 26 percent; Reducing the size of the central administration, from 650 employees to about 200, and creating a way to organize schools, in groups of "achievement networks"; Giving these "achievement networks" autonomy in managing their schools, including perhaps the ability to contract for their own services such as maintenance; Moving more students from low-performing schools to "high-performing seats," including charter schools; Cutting $218 million in 2013 and $164 million in 2014.

‘Prison Break' star arrested Lane Garrison spent Sunday night in jail after his arrest on felony domestic violence charges, accused of assaulting his ex-gf Ashley Mattingly at her Beverly Hills apartment building. Harland Braun, Garrison's lawyer, told TMZ Sunday the Prison Break star was visiting a friend in the same building and ran into Ashley by chance. Braun said Garrison admits there was an argument but denies hitting his ex-gf. But security camera footage posted Monday by TMZ shows Garrison grabbing Ashley's arm with one hand and slapping her face with the other.

DE JASON BABIN He insists he's not a one-trick pony, but even those who say he is have to acknowledge that Babin was a difference-maker last season with 18 sacks. DE TRENT COLE The most complete lineman on the team, Cole is a relentless fighter against the pass or run. Adding Babin opposite him helped. DT BRANDON GRAHAM After two seasons, the 13th pick in 2010 remains a mystery. He had three sacks in 13 games as a rookie but hardly played last season after knee surgery.

  LeBron James and Chris Bosh sat out the game, resting for the postseason. Dwyane Wade played and got hurt. Wade lasted less than three minutes before dislocating his left index finger, and without their three stars Saturday night, the Miami Heat lost at home, 86-84, to the woeful Washington Wizards. Wade appeared to get his finger caught in another player's jersey and immediately went to the locker room grimacing in pain. He never returned, even though fans chanted "We want Dwyane!"

DE JASON BABIN - He insists he's not a one-trick pony, but even those who say he is have to acknowledge that Babin was a difference-maker last season with 18 sacks. DE TRENT COLE - The most complete lineman on the team, Cole is a relentless fighter against the pass or run. Adding Babin opposite him helped. DT BRANDON GRAHAM - AFter two seasons, the 13th pick in 2010 remains a mystery. He had three sacks in 13 games as a rookie but hardly played last season after knee surgery.