Michael Schumacher In Critical Condition After Skiing Accident

[Formaldehyde]

Michael Schumacher, retired Formula One champ, critical after skiing fall

Seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher was fighting for his life on Monday after suffering severe head injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps resort of Meribel, doctors said

"We can say that his condition is life-threatening," Jean-Francois Payen, head anesthetician at the CHU hospital in the eastern French city of Grenoble, told a news conference.

"For the moment we cannot say what Michael Schumacher's future is," he added. "We are working round the clock - we are trying to win time."

The retired motor racing great, 44, slammed his head on a rock while skiing off-piste on Sunday morning in the French Alpine resort where he has a vacation home.

"His helmet did of course protect him at least partly. Someone who had suffered a similar accident without a helmet would not have made it here (to the hospital)," Payen said.

Schumacher was initially conscious as he was transported to a local hospital in Moutiers and then to Grenoble. However, his condition deteriorated sharply afterwards.

Neurosurgeon Stephan Chabardes said an emergency brain scan carried out on Schumacher had revealed internal bleeding and injuries including contusions and lesions. He said they had operated to treat the internal bleeding.

Doctors said Schumacher had been placed in an artificial coma but, contrary to an earlier French media report, said they had not carried out a second operation during the night and were not planning any further interventions at this stage.

At least he was wearing a helmet. I was quite surprised to find that helmet usage "has risen to nearly 50 %, most resorts have made helmets compulsory".

 

[mrt144]

helmets save lives.

 

[classical_hero]

He was stupid for getting away from the set course by the Hotel. This is why you should listen to what they say about which areas are safe to ski or not.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Most expert skiers ski off piste at least to some extent. Groomed runs are really for beginners and intermediate skiers for the most part. This could have just as easily happened on any run with exposed rocks, or trees, or ski lift towers for that matter. Many double diamond ski runs are quite likely far more dangerous than where Schumacher was skiing. Skiing is an inherently dangerous sport where it is really up to the individual regarding how much danger he exposes himself. Given that his teenage son was with him, I imagine it wasn't all that dangerous.

Schumi is doing "slightly better".

"The situation is more under control than yesterday but we cannot say he is out of danger," Jean-Francois Payen, head anaesthetician, told a news conference at the CHU hospital in the eastern French city of Grenoble.

"We have won some time but we must continue an hour-by-hour surveillance... It is premature to speculate on his condition," he said, adding that Schumacher was still in a critical state and suffering from severe lesions and contusions.

Emmanuel Gay, head of the hospital's neurosurgery service, said the operation carried out around 10 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Monday had successfully removed a large hematoma - the medical term for a build-up of blood - from his brain.

"It was larger and more accessible (than others) ... We judged we could remove it without taking any risks," Gay said.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Schumacher has finally being brought out of induced coma.

The process of reducing sedation can take days or even weeks, depending on the strength of medication used. Whether Schumacher can fully recover from his injuries, however, is doubtful. He has stayed in a coma for a relatively long time, indicating severe swelling, probably relating to severe damage, said Peter Andrews, professor of intensive care at Edinburgh University, who is leading the world's largest trial of using hypothermia to reduce brain pressure.

Sebastian Vettel, the current F1 champion, said: "You pray, you wish, you hope that a miracle will happen and he will wake up as same person he was before."

Investigations by French public prosecutors in Albertville had shown that Schumacher had strayed about three to six metres into off-piste territory before his fall. Hitting a snow-covered rock, the 45-year-old had been catapulted forward and hit his head on another rock about 3.5 metres further down, his helmet splitting on impact.

 

[classical_hero]

It sounds like a miracle that he is even alive.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Ironically, that is what the doctors are apparently now claiming he needs to not remain in a vegetative state:

Michael Schumacher: 'only a miracle' can save him



Here's a photo of the rocky area between two slopes where he had his accident.

 

[Formaldehyde]

There is finally some good news:

Schumacher has 'conscious moments' - agent

F1 champion Michael Schumacher is showing "moments of consciousness" after months in a coma, his agent has said.

Sabine Kehm said in a statement to the media that he was "making progress", adding that they remain "confident".

A message of support for Schumacher was displayed at the Bahrain Grand Prix

However, it was also recently reported that he had lost 40 pounds.

Schumacher has 'lost 25 per cent' of body weight

 

[Formaldehyde]

Michael is finally out of his coma!

PARIS—Former Formula One racing champion Michael Schumacher is out of a coma and has left the Grenoble hospital where he had been treated since suffering life-threatening head trauma after a skiing accident in December "to continue his long phase of rehabilitation", his spokeswoman said Monday.

"For the future we ask for understanding that his further rehabilitation will take place away from the public eye," Mr. Schumacher's spokeswoman, Sabine Kehm, said in a news release. She didn't offer further information on the status of Mr. Schumacher's health.

 

[Zelig]

Whoa, I honestly wasn't expecting that.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Yeah. I had pretty much given up hope myself.