Tommy John Surgery for Pitchers Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Surgery What is Tommy John Surgery? Tommy John surgery consists of replacing the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow with a tendon from somewhere else in the body, most often the forearm. During surgery, holes are drilled in the ulna and humerus bones at the elbow and a tendon is woven in a figure-eight pattern through the holes. History of Tommy John Surgery When surgeon Frank Jobe, MD, performed the first UCL reconstruction on Tommy John in 1974, he thought the pitcher only had a 1 in 100 chance of resuming his career with the Dodgers. ( webMD ) But John returned to the Major Leagues in 1976. He pitched for another 14 years and won 164 more games. Now, Tommy John surgery has a success rate of about 85% according to Dr. James Andrews. How long does it take to recover from Tommy John Surgery? Tommy John surgery takes about an hour on the operating ...