Beloved college basketball sportscaster Dick Vitale had surgery in mid-February to address ulcerated lesions on his vocal cords, and he expects to be back in the booth for the 2022-2023 college basketball season.

Vitale made a Facebook post on Wednesday to update the public and praise his medical team. He thanked Dr. Zeitels for performing the three-hour surgery, as well as the Mass General Hospital staff that he worked with.

“A big THANK YOU to Dr. Zeitels & his staff / & also those from Mass General Hospital for caring in such a professional manner.”

The last game Vitale called was Villanova vs Baylor on December 12, according to Trib Live. He announced that he was diagnosed with lymphoma back in October and was undergoing chemotherapy treatments.
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The sportscaster called games from November 23 until he decided to rest his voice in mid-December. 82-year-old Vitale emphasized the importance of this decision in his post.

“Dr. Zeitels told me yesterday that the surgery was a challenge but because of his equipment that he was able to complete what his plan was in going into surgery. The voice rest was a key he said in clearing up the inflammation which allowed him to proceed with the procedure to treat the dysplasia & the ulcerated lesions on my vocal cords.”

According to Vitale's post, he could be back and broadcasting college hoops as early as next season. Dr. Zeitels mandated four weeks of “total voice rest” for Vitale, which will be crucial in getting him back to work.