Doctors: "Without a helmet Schumacher wouldn't be here now"

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Doctors: "Without a helmet Schumacher wouldn't be here now"

Published on 30 Dec 2013 12:34
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By: Danny Sosef

Seven time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher remains in a 'critical condition'st in Grenoble hospital following a skiing accident on Sunday.

The 44-year-old fell while skiing off-piste above the Meribel resort in the French Alps. He was originally airlifted to a hospital in Moutiers before being flown to a larger facility in Grenoble.

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A press conference at the hospital on Monday morning confirmed that Schumacher had been operated on once, with doctors saying they dont intend to complete a second operation at the moment. However, they say he is 'fighting for his life' and remains in a critical condition, with it being too early to determine a possible outcome.

"Michael Schumacher was the victim of very serious trauma," a spokesman for the hospital said. "He was very agitated when he arrived and we decided he was in a critical situation and he quickly went into a coma."

"The neurosurgical treatment he received brought us quite a lot of information. We had to operate urgently to release some pressure in his head. Unfortunately, he has some lesions within his brain."

Chief anesthesiologist Professor Jean-Francois Payen added that he remains in a coma and that he is being evaluated on an hourly basis. "I'd say this accident happened in the right place because he was taken into hospital immediately and operated on as soon as he arrived, this meant his state is critical and he is still in a coma and he will be kept in a coma," he said.

"Everything that needed to be done has been done at the moment we can't really say when he will recover, we cannot answer this yet. We can say he is fighting for his life. We judge him to be in a very serious situation. We cannot tell what the outcome will be yet. We are working hour-by-hour but its too early to say what is going to happen and to have a prognosis."

"We think his helmet did help, without a helmet he wouldn't be here now."

A consultant added: "He is under local anesthetic at the moment to reduce any stimulus. It was quite a big trauma to the head. What we observed initially was an impact to the right side of the head. He was agitated when he came in. He had some spontaneous movements and wasn't in a normal state when he came in."

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