“Cake Boss” star Buddy Valastro took to his Instagram to share an update on the final hand surgery he underwent after getting it stuck in the pinsetter at his home bowling alley in 2020. Although he was attempting to fix a malfunction, something he had done many times, the accident would cost him five surgeries and a detrimental loss of function in his dominant right hand.
“So we had surgery on October 14, and I got to say, my hand, I think, looks pretty good,” Valastro said. “Not bad, right? I mean, not bad, not bad. I got, ya know, I can move it. I got good functionality. This finger is still a little crooked, but that’s because I’m OCD.”
Buddy Valastro’s 5th Hand Surgery
As he jokingly tried to give the middle finger in his video update, the celebrity baker was unable to form a fist and point his finger without needing to lift it with his other hand. “I can’t do it still,” he admitted. “But that’s what happens when you stick your hand in a bowling machine where it doesn’t belong. I learned the hard way.”
Buddy Valastro’s Kids Used Pliers to Set His Hand Free
In a 2020 interview with People, Valastro opened up about the scary moment his life changed forever, detailing how, within minutes of his hand being eaten by the pinsetter, his oldest sons, Buddy Jr. and Marco, and his brother-in-law used pliers to set him free.
“I’ve reset it a hundred times,” Valastro told the outlet. “I guess I looked away, and then my hand got pinned. The metal barb pushed right through the middle of my ring finger and my middle finger. I was stuck in a machine.”
The legendary cake decorator suffered nerve, tendon and muscle damage, leading to five surgeries and physical therapy. While his hand function is forever changed, Valastro is still dedicated to his craft. Since his accident, he has starred in two A&E shows, “Legends of the Fork” and “Buddy Valastro’s Cake Dynasty.” He has also appeared on Food Network’s “Buddy vs. Christmas” and “Buddy vs. Duff.”
