Sharon undergoes surgery
Planned operation to replace breathing tube connecting PM to ventilation machine a success; Sharon returned to intensive care unit at Hadassah hospital; prime minister yet to awaken from deep coma
The prime minister underwent a CT scan
Sunday evening, after which he was taken into surgery to insert a tube through his neck into his windpipe in order to replace the connection to his ventilation machine.
The operation was successfully carried out under general anesthetic, and was part of a planned procedure for the prime minister.
As long as the breathing pipe is in place, even if Sharon awakens, he will not be able to speak. In certain case, it is possible to carry out surgery to close the hole in his throat.
Sharon yet to awaken
While the amount of sedative drugs given to Sharon has been reduced to almost zero, he has yet to awaken from the medically-induced coma doctors placed him in after suffering a massive stroke and cerebral hemorrhaging.
Hospital sources have expressed general concern over Sharon’s state, but remain unfazed by
the fact that he has yet to open his eyes.
“Some patients wake up after a week, and some wake up after several months,” one doctor said.
According to a hospital statement issued Saturday, an ultrasound conducted after removing the drain from the prime minister's brain showed that there was no expansion of the brain ventricles.
An EEG test conducted Friday showed that Sharon's brain lobes are both active, in accordance with the prime minister's state of consciousness.
In a statement issued Friday , hospital officials said that Sharon’s condition continues to be serious but stable.
Dr. Itay Gal contributed to the report
