Michael Schumacher still in critical condition: opinions from various specialists

Stephan Chabardes – The man who operated on Schumacher

Professor Charbades, in an interview given to France 3 Alpes, of course, mentions the severe head trauma, showing brain lesions.

The operation went smoothly on Sunday afternoon. Placed in intensive care, he is put into an artificial coma to prevent his brain from being further affected. Wearing a helmet might save his life.

In the Huffington Post, Professor Chabardes admits to being very worried about the situation, the doctors cannot say more due to professional confidentiality.

« The helmet wasn’t enough to protect him completely but it really helped. We see a lot of major injuries like this. »

In these times when rescuers have to assist skiers who go off-piste without necessarily taking all the precautions, the use of a helmet in the alpine environment is better understood.

Gary Hartstein – former Formula 1 doctor

The American served from January 2005 to December 2012 as a doctor in the premier category. He explained to cameras to worldwide media, as well as in his blog, that extradural hematomas, equivalent to a brain hemorrhage, can leave a lucid interval after the injury.

He went on to specify that the pressure in the brain must be quickly relieved, hence the need for neurosurgical intervention, and the patient is then placed in intensive care.

The quality of healing will depend on various elements: the severity of the initial injury, the acuity and extent of the pressure increase when the hematoma forms, the speed at which the hematoma is reabsorbed, and especially the quality of intensive neurological care and rehabilitation.

The term coma is mentioned, a pejorative term for the average person, Dr. Hartstein preferred to rather make an ironic comment by pointing out that people who snore are also in a coma.

The definition of coma means that it is a respiratory obstruction. There is too great an increase in CO2 and a decrease in oxygen, so the German was placed under artificial coma to prevent suffering. It is almost the equivalent of a prolonged and protective anesthesia so that the CO2 is decreased in the human body.

Chris Chandler – neurosurgeon

Chris Chandler believes that wearing a helmet might minimize the severity of the injury, however, even with a helmet, the injury could still be very severe. If there was immediate treatment, it indicates that what happened is very serious, according to the Huffington Post.

Jean François Payen – Professor and Head of the Intensive Care Unit at Grenoble University Hospital

Jean François Payen confirms on I-Télé that: « the neurosurgical care was carried out, a hemorrhagic lesion was evacuated quickly. In the next three days, the state of health will be crucial with active treatment to limit the intracranial pressure that is currently being performed. »

Bernard Croisile – neurologist at the civil hospices of Lyon

According to Bernard Croisile, it is difficult to make a prognosis about the future of the former Scuderia Ferrari driver.

In the article from Nouvelobs, it is mentioned that the composition of an athlete is more suited for recovery. However, there are too many unknowns for the doctor to make a precise diagnosis. Bernard Croisile points out that the health condition of the former Mercedes driver can change in 10 minutes or it can change in 8 days.

Another example that can be mentioned in relation to Michael Schumacher is the former Austrian driver Karl Wendlinger. A promising driver, he was involved in an accident at the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix. Exiting the tunnel, Karl Wendlinger lost control of his car, probably due to slight contact with the rail. Without lateral protection around the cockpit, Wendlinger’s head violently hit the barriers. Doctors could only observe the coma in which the Sauber driver was plunged. Just 11 days after Ayrton Senna’s fatal accident, the Formula 1 world was very fearful. It was only 19 days after his accident and 2 weeks of induced sleep that the Sauber driver awoke.

Gérard Saillant-former orthopedic surgeon and traumatologist professor

Gerard Saillant is retired. The Frenchman was considered the best surgeon in the world. He specialized in sports to operate on various high-level athletes, among whom is a certain Michael Schumacher whom he operated on after his accident at Silverstone in 1999 for various leg fractures.

The professor came to his bedside as a simple friend, he cannot intervene, being retired.

Yesterday, he expressed his deep concern, saying that the medical teams at the Grenoble University Hospital are doing what is necessary, but as long as there is life, there is hope, on BFM TV.