These are the first photos of number one draft pick Jon Patton's knee surgery in Sweden as he continues to undergo rehabilitation.
They show the 18 year-old in the operating theatre as his left knee was operated on by world leading specialist Dr Hakan Alfredson to treat patellar tendinopathy, or jumper's knee.
The young forward is now back in Western Sydney and is on track to begin training in early April and hopes to become available for selection in May.
GIANTS physiotherapist Leroy Lobo travelled with Patton and was impressed by Dr Alfredson, who has treated European football stars Carlos Puyol, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Yossi Benayoun.
"Dr Alfredson reviewed Patton's history and then examined him with an Ultrasound that showed extensive new blood vessel formation at the lower tip of the knee cap, near where the tendon joins," said Lobo.
"He also noted that there were some bony changes at the tip of the knee cap that would likely be hitting the tendon and leading to tendon changes and the pain that Patton was feeling.
"The process took over an hour. The bony growths and other parts around the tendon were trimmed.
"The bony lesions in particular were interesting as Dr Alfredson felt that we would have hit a wall with Patton's conservative exercise based only rehab without this procedure.'
