Doctor Reveals How Hulk Hogan’s Health Collapsed After Second Neck Surgery

Hulk Hogan passed away just two months after he had undergone major neck surgery on May 14. It was evident he had a lot of health complications before his death and now a doctor has explained how Hogan’s condition got worse after a second “touch up” surgery.

While speaking on his YouTube channel, Bubba the Love Sponge said Hulk Hogan went back for a follow-up surgery because there were issues from his first operation. He believed Hogan might have pushed himself too hard after the first surgery, which made things worse. At a certain point, the doctors may have realized they couldn’t fix the new damage.

Bubba recalled that on June 18, he already knew Hogan had overdone it and hurt himself five weeks earlier. According to him, Hogan broke something and it led to a serious situation. Bubba’s sources confirmed his concerns, even though they warned him not to share too much because it was alarming people.

The day Hogan returned to the hospital, he had broken something in his neck from doing too much. His condition became severe enough to affect his breathing, and doctors were worried they might lose him. Although surgery helped a little, he ended up needing a ventilator and other machines to support him.

“But you’re right, Dan. There was a story—remember—that Hogan went back in for a touch up surgery. Yeah, it was because of a complication from his first operation. And I think that touch up happened because he did too much afterward, and maybe he ended up doing exactly one of the things you said could go wrong. And at that point, there is no more touch up. You probably reach a moment where the doctors say, ‘We can’t fix what just got messed up.’

This is what I said on June 18th. And Dan, you know, five weeks after overdoing it, he broke something. And now he’s in this state. I don’t have to prove anything anymore because I was right. Dead on. Even when it was this serious, my sources were telling me, ‘Hey, you might want to dial it back a bit because you’re scaring people.’ But I said, ‘What’s the truth?’ And they told me, ‘You’re right about what you’re saying, but it’s freaking people out.’

The first day he checked himself back into the hospital, it was because he overdid it and broke something in his neck. It got so bad that it affected his breathing. They actually thought they were going to lose him that day. The surgeons did something that helped a little, but then came the ventilator. Then came all kinds of scary machines. And Dan, I know you’ve told me before as a doctor—when they bring out the vent, that’s not a good sign.”

Dr. Dan explained that Hulk Hogan had a spinal fusion. In this type of surgery, doctors remove a disc and insert a bone graft, holding the spine together with metal screws and plates. These materials are strong but not unbreakable. If someone puts too much pressure on them too soon, they can break, making the spine unstable.

Dr. Dan said the fusion takes time to heal. If Hogan had surgery involving the vertebrae near the neck, especially around C3, C4, or C5 it could affect his ability to breathe because those nerves control the diaphragm. Damage in that area might explain his respiratory failure.

“Absolutely. When they bring out the vent, it’s a bad sign. What likely happened is a typical spinal fusion. Now, this example would be more for the lumbar spine, but the process is similar in the neck. They place screws through each vertebra, and then those screws are connected with a cage or bracket. He had some kind of hardware holding his bones together after the fusion. These things—screws and plates—are made of titanium, stainless steel, or cobalt. They’re strong, but not unbreakable. If they break, the whole structure becomes unstable.

When they remove the disc during fusion, the cervical spine is temporarily destabilized. A bone graft fills the gap, but it takes time to heal. Until then, the screws hold everything together. If you push too hard too soon, those screws can break, and that can lead to serious problems. The graft needs time to solidify—otherwise, it won’t become hardened bone.

The X-ray shows the metal plate, which is closest to the machine. The likely complication is that one of those screws broke, which made the neck unstable. The cervical spine includes C1 through C8. If you fuse four vertebrae, you’re probably at least reaching C5. In medical school, we were taught ‘C3, 4, 5 keep you alive’—because those control your breathing.”

Dr. Dan also said that if the screws broke or the fusion failed, it could cause bleeding or nerve damage. That might lead to lower oxygen levels in the blood, buildup of carbon dioxide, and possibly cardiac arrest. He added that damage to the esophagus during surgery could have caused more complications.

In the end, Dr. Dan believed Hulk Hogan’s condition worsened because he pushed his body too hard too soon, leading to a chain reaction of health issues.

“So how does this lead to cardiac arrest? If a break or collapse happens, it could cause massive bleeding. That bleeding could increase pressure on the nerves, arteries, and veins—leading to nerve damage and reduced blood flow to the brain.

If the nerve to his diaphragm was damaged, he’d struggle to move air, which causes CO2 levels to rise. That’s not about oxygen—it’s about the ability to breathe in and out. CO2 buildup comes from poor respiration. Oxygen levels drop when blood doesn’t receive enough oxygen, but that’s separate from simply moving air. They also could have injured his esophagus during surgery, which adds even more complications.”

Hulk Hogan passed away on July 24 at the age of 71 after emergency responders were called to his home in Clearwater, Florida, due to cardiac arrest. He was taken to the hospital but was later pronounced dead.

While the public knew about his struggles with COPD and kidney problems, Dr. Dan explained that complications from a second surgery made his health worse and ultimately led to his passing. Unfortunately, many feel this could have been prevented but it’s far too late now.

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