India's superstar cricket player, Sachin Tendulkar, also hailed as the best batsman in the world, underwent hand surgery at Sinai Hospital's Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A., today.

Sinai Hospital's orthopedic surgeons Dror Paley, M.D., and Steven Friedman, M.D., both of whom specialize in delicate hand reconstruction, performed surgery on the athlete's left hand to repair a sports injury.

According to India's news media, Tendulkar felt pain in his left hand during the tour of New Zealand in late 2002.

"The X-rays show that Tendulkar suffered a torn ligament and tendon to his ring finger that is affecting the finger joint,� said Paley, director of the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics.

Surgery was performed at Sinai Hospital as an outpatient procedure, not requiring an overnight hospital stay. The healing process will involve physical rehabilitation.

With India not scheduled to play Test Cricket until the home series against the Kiwis in October 2003, Tendulkar will have enough time to recover after his surgery. He chose to keep out of the ongoing three-nation tournament in Bangladesh.

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore has the fastest growing orthopedic program in the state of Maryland. The hospital's Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics is a premier center for complex bone and joint issues attracting patients from all 50 states and over 43 countries.

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