Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn Recovering from Surgery at Thornton Hospital

Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn had a cancerous growth and scar tissue removed from his face on Tuesday at UC San Diego's in La Jolla.

A team of doctors performed what they called a complicated surgical procedure. The hospital explained that doctors removed the cancerous growth and scar tissue from previous therapies that had encased the nerve that controls facial movement on the right side Gwynn’s face. "The tumor mass was so intertwined with the nerve, it had to be removed as well, so that potential spread of the tumor would be avoided," the hospital reported.

Doctors also grafted a nerve from Gwynn’s neck to the remaining main branches of the facial nerve both in the face and in the temporal bone of the skull behind his ear. The hospital reported that over time, the facial movement will begin to return. 

As of 4:22 p.m on Wednesday, the hospital said in a statement, "while everything went extremely well and Mr. Gwynn is in good spirits, it is too early to forecast how successful the outcome will be."

"Initial indications are that the cancer has not spread. This type of cancer is very rare, accounting for less than one percent of all head and neck cancers. It could take up to 18 months for Mr. Gwynn to regain movement and function on the right side of his face," the release stated.

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