Buddy Valastro Gives Update After 5th Hand Surgery Following Bowling Accident

Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro is still on the road to recovery more than six months after he severely injured his hand in a bowling alley accident. Appearing on Monday's new episode of Rachael Ray, the famed baker and reality TV personality gave an update on his recovery journey, revealing that he recently underwent his fifth hand surgery, which he said "was a huge success."

After undergoing that surgery "about a month ago," according to Valastro, he is "feeling good" and his "hand is coming along." Valastro said that since the procedure, he "definitely" has "more of my mobility back," something that is crucial to his career, as he sustained the gruesome injury to his dominant hand. Valastro went on to demonstrate the range of motion he now has, telling viewers he now "can make like a whole fist" and can "make all my fingers straight." According to the baker, he has "about 75% of my strength back," though he is still in recovery and is "still in physical therapy, and you know, just doing really well."

The promising health update came after Valastro suffered a "terrible accident" at his family's New Jersey home in September after "there was a malfunction with the bowling pinsetter." According to a representative for the Food Network star, although this was "a common fix in the past," it turned "into a terrible accident" when Valastro attempted to release the bowling pin from the cage mechanism and "his right hand became lodged and compressed inside the unit." A metal rod "slowly and repeatedly" impaled his hand "three times between his ring finger and middle finger." Valastro's teenage sons Buddy Jr. and Michael were able to use a reciprocating saw "to cut through the metal rod and relieve his father from the machine," and Valastro was rushed to the hospital, where he immediately underwent surgery.

Valastro was said to have an "uphill battle" of recovery ahead of him as his hand would "need prolonged recovery and therapy," and opening up about the accident shortly after it occurred, the baker said he was on the "road to recovery." In an October update, he revealed that he was slowly getting back to cake decorating and was working on developing his skills with his left hand. During his Monday Rachel Ray appearance, Valastro again showed off his cake decorating skills, revealing that he is back to using his right hand.