Scott McTominay Will Undergo Heart Surgery, Return Date Confirmed
Scott McTominay is scheduled to undergo surgery in the next few days following the discovery of a “mild” heart condition. The Napoli and Scotland midfielder will be able to return to the pitch following the September/October international break.
A Napoli statement on Tuesday confirmed diagnosis of a “benign arrhythmia” that will now be treated with a procedure that uses cutting edge medical technology.
An arrhythmia is described by the National Health Service (NHS) in the U.K. as when a “heart beats too quickly or too slowly, or your heartbeat is not steady.”
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Heart health is an important issue in soccer that occasionally has the most tragic consequences, and so taking every precaution when even mild conditions are discovered could eventually save a life. The deaths of Antonio Puerta and Daniel Jarque rocked Spanish soccer in 2007 and 2009, respectively, while Marc-Vivien Foé died at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup due to an undiagnosed pre-existing hereditary condition.
In more recent times, Sergio Agüero chose to retire only five games into his time at Barcelona in 2021 after chest discomfort in a match was found to be an arrhythmia. Only months earlier, Christian Eriksen collapsed and was resuscitated during a match at Euro 2020. The Dane was fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, which kicked in this past June when he collapsed again while in action for Denmark against Ukraine. Eriksen soon regained consciousness because the device worked as it should, but he has not yet returned to action.
What Is PFA Surgery?
Napoli say McTominay will undergo “PFA surgery,” which stands for pulsed field ablation.
The University Hospital Southampton explains that PFA “destroys targeted malfunctioning heart cells using ultrafast electrical pulses.”
According to John Hopkins Medicine, it is a “minimally invasive procedure” and uses “electrical pulses, which allows for improved safety and efficiency” over the thermal energy associated with more traditional ablation techniques. “PFA is typically performed under general anesthesia, and patients can usually go home the same day.”
When Can Scott McTominay Play Again?
Based on Napoli’s timeline, McTominay ought to be available for the Serie A match scheduled against Frosinone on Oct. 10. But he will miss big games before then, against reigning Italian champions Inter on Sept. 5 and Arsenal in the Champions League four days later.
Napoli also play Bologna and Fiorentina in Serie A before the domestic scene pauses for the first international window since the 2026 World Cup. For Scotland, McTominay will miss the UEFA Nations League B quadruple header against Slovenia, Switzerland, North Macedonia and Slovenia again. The ex-Manchester United star is one of his country’s most important players.
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