ABC News is featuring a new article providing more details on The Great Khali’s surgery that he underwent on Wednesday to have a tumor removed. The article mentions the potential risks of Khali’s acromegaly, and WWE‘s wellness policy. Khali is recovering well, and is expected to be released from the Universary of Pittsburgh Medical Center hopefully by Monday.
Also in the article, ABC mentions that WWE could potentially be in legal trouble for failing to address conditions such as acromegaly in its performers (as performers such as Andre The Giant have reaped size-related benefits from acromegaly), but notes that WWE’s legal team is notoriously effective. Here’s an excerpt from the article.
Dr. Bryan Donohue, a UPMC cardoiologist and WWE’s cardiovascular consultant since 2008, said in his experience, WWE has never put commercial interests above the health of its performers, adding that many WWE executives are former wrestlers.
“The narrative is obvious, that the interests of WWE are antithetical to those of the talent, but I’ve found that they’ve been very responsive to things I’ve asked them to do,” Donohue said. “I’ve never experienced any pushback on any issue.”
While Donohue said he could not comment on Singh’s case, he said the decision to operate on a pituitary tumor does not follow reflexively from a diagnosis of acromegaly. The timing, especially for adults, can be influenced by a range of factors.
Braunstein, the Cedars-Sinai endocrinologist, said he has seen several acromegalic patients who have refused surgery and even a growth hormone-reducing medication in hopes of preserving their gigantism. When he tells them that acromegaly shortens life expectancy, they often “shop around for other doctors,” he said
