The former Formula 1 pilot came out of a coma and left Grenoble University Hospital, according to the family spokesperson. The full assessment of the sequelae will take several months.
The press release is succinct, without details of his state of health, but marks a real turning point in Schumacher’s situation. ” Michael left Grenoble University Hospital to continue his long rehabilitation phase. He is no longer in a coma “. The German champion begins a phase of rehabilitation. ” We ask everyone to respect this long phase in the future, which will only take place in a private setting. “, We can read in the press release, distributed by Sabine Kehm, the spokesperson for the family. According to RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse), Michael Schumacher has been transferred to the CHUV in Lausanne.
“ His family would like to expressly thank the doctors, the nursing teams and the administration of the Grenoble hospital as well as the first aid personnel who intervened at the scene of the accident. All of them have done a wonderful job during these first months. Thanks also go to everyone who sent Michael their best wishes for recovery. These certainly helped him », Indicates the press release.
He would have communicated with his entourage
According to the newspaper Bild, Michael Schumacher was able to communicate with his wife Corinna and his children. Encouraging news had already been given on April 4. The former pilot showed moments of awareness and awakening. Today, we know more since it is specified that he came out of the coma but no details on the nature of the after-effects. Without being able to make a diagnosis remotely, the specialists agree on one point: after more than five months of coma, Michael Schumacher will very probably have sequelae at the motor and cognitive level. However, Prof. Jean Mantz, head of the anesthesia-resuscitation department at Bichat hospital, told the Fréquence M web radio that the sequelae “depended more on the severity of the initial lesions than on the duration of the coma. imaging exams give us very poor visibility of these lesions. “
6 to 18 decisive months
Dr Gary Harstein, former medical officer of the International Automobile Federation recently declared: “There is a small, but real possibility of improving his state of consciousness in the months, if not years, to come”. According to specialists, we can hope for a positive development for one or even two years after a shock, which leaves another 18 months in the case of Schumacher. Especially since he will now return to a rehabilitation phase. But for Professor Jean-Marc Orgogozo, neurologist at Bordeaux University Hospital, there are now three possibilities, from lack of autonomy to motor recovery, but we can no longer hope for complete recovery.
Prof. Jean-Marc Orgogozo, neurologist at Bordeaux University Hospital : ” He can regain vegetative autonomy, even motor skills and communication of more or less good quality. Unfortunately, it’s not a great sign that the news on the air today isn’t better. “
The pilot was indeed the victim of a skiing accident on December 29. He suffered from intracranial hematomas, brain contusions and diffuse bleeding lesions. He had since been in a coma. According to Dr. Gary, only a few patients who have remained in a vegetative state for six months end up talking, walking, dressing. Thanks to his physical form and his exceptional mentality, Schumacher will perhaps be one of them.
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