soiarrai Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Ouch.. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_headline=the-boy-who-survived-decapitation%26method=full%26objectid=18223173%26siteid=94762-name_page.html Crash rips Chris's head from neck By Richard Smith A BOY of 12 stunned doctors by cheating death after his head was ripped from his neck in a car crash. Chris Stewart, a junior racing driver, suffered "internal decapitation" - which kills most people - when his 1000cc Mini slammed into a crash barrier at 50mph after a tyre burst during a children's race. The impact of the crash wrenched his skull from the top of his spine. Surgeons performed ground-breaking surgery - called occipital-cervical fusion - using metal plates and bone grafts from Chris's hip to re-attach his head to the top vertebrae of his spine. After six hours on the operating table and 19 days in intensive care - where he was kept in coma to stop him making any potentially fatal movements - Chris's life was saved. Now two months after the crash in Alton, Hants, he is walking, swimming and cycling again - and desperate to get back behind the wheel of a car. Mum Debra, 41, a financial adviser, said yesterday: "It is nothing short of a miracle. "At first we did not have any idea if he would even survive, let alone what state he would be in." Chris from Fareham, Hants, said: "I wasn't scared when the accident happened but I couldn't move anything - I was quite annoyed." Spinal expert Evan Davies, who operated on Chris at Southampton General, phoned experts around the world before he began surgery. He said: "An injury where all the ligaments attaching the head on to the neck were ruptured, historically, was a coroner's injury - they were non-survivable. It's incredible he made it." Only 16 other cases in children have been recorded. Eleven died, one is a quadraplegic and three left partially-paralysed. Just one recovered fully. richard.smith@mirror.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaad Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Jezus .. just when I thought I'd heard it all.. Amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglesoup Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 respect to the pioneering doctors and scientists who devise these things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damen Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Obviously this kid lost his head trying to win a silly race. I hope he keeps his head screwed on straight next time he gets behind the wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kangaroobar Posted December 9, 2006 Report Share Posted December 9, 2006 Lucky one and Great job from the meds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayjann Posted December 10, 2006 Report Share Posted December 10, 2006 an old and close Friend of mine was involved in this case. Southampton is only 20 odd Miles from where i work and the Consultant involved is head of the A & E Dept and an ex-President of the Royal College Of Surgeons. my friend was not involved in the operation,not his field of work. but he was incharge of the stabilisation of the patient at the scene before he was carefully move to Hospital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted December 10, 2006 Report Share Posted December 10, 2006 Very lucky indeed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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