While preparing for a day-long operation and expecting to return to hockey two weeks later, Mathieu Dorais received quite a shock when a biopsy revealed that a malignant tumor had developed in his right pinky toe.
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“I lived for the sport of ice hockey and that’s where I found my entire circle of friends,” he says. It was really hard to learn that I wouldn't be able to play hockey for the rest of my life. Hockey was the first thing on my mind when I was told I would need an amputation. With a high prosthesis like the one I wear, it was impossible to put on skates.
PHOTO courtesy of Louis Charland / Rouge et Or
The goalkeeper played hockey since childhood and our national sport took up the entire room. During the 2016–2017 season, he played a season in Midget AAA with the Chevaliers (then Commandeurs) of Lévis, where he saw action, most notably on the evening when former Montreal Canadiens forward David Desharnais had his sweater taken off. When the terrible news broke in 2020 during the pandemic, he trained with Jakob Pelletier, Alex Barré-Boulet and Maxence Guénette, among others, who were keeping in shape before their professional camp.
A routine procedure at the beginning
A recurring pain tormented him before he decided to see a doctor, who told him he was suffering from tendonitis. As the pain continued, the industrial relations student consulted another doctor, who discovered what he believed to be a benign tumor in his right pinky toe.
“Surgery would have been necessary, but the doctor told me that this type of tumor is benign in 99% of cases, that it would be a one-day procedure and that I would be back on the ice two weeks later,” he emphasizes . Before the operation I had a biopsy which revealed that the tumor was malignant. I was told the cells were crazy and cancerous. Ewing's sarcoma is very rare.
“Without amputation, I took the risk that the metastases would spread to other places in my body,” the industrial relations student continues. It was a big decision, but we were careful and didn't take the risk of the cancer not spreading. There was no compromise and I underwent an amputation on December 20, 2022.”
A rarely performed amputation
The Chopard amputation is not performed often and requires very specialized skills from the surgeon. A below-knee amputation is most common in these cases and makes adjustment easier.
“The Chopard amputation is a less intrusive operation than the below-knee amputation because I kept my heel, but it was not certain whether I would be able to continue playing sports because of the different equipment,” he explains. I wasn't ready to give up the sport. The surgeon did a very good job and everything is going well.”
Dorais was amputated at the Hôtel-Dieu in Quebec. “The Chopard amputation is very, very difficult and only Doctor Norbert Dion can perform it. Because I was wearing a cast, I didn't see my foot for a few weeks. It was quite a shock when I first saw it. Then I could see the extent of the amputation.”