Healthy Soch
Recompression therapy and world-class medical facilities help save patient’s life
New Delhi, December 5, 2017: Simon Powell, a 63-year-old British citizen, received a new lease of life at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi after suffering severe decompression while diving in Maldives. He was airlifted from Malé, Maldives to Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals as his condition progressively deteriorated, requiring advanced medical facilities.
While holidaying at a private resort with his wife, Simon experienced breathing difficulty. He was quickly taken to the resident doctor, who said Simon needed a hyperbaric chamber immediately. Simon was rushed to a nearby island and placed in the hyperbaric chamber for eight hours. Although his condition improved initially, it later went downhill as his kidney failed, and movement of the arms and legs stopped. The attending doctors felt he needed to be in intensive care urgently. The nearest hospital with this facility was in Malé, so he was taken there by boat around midnight.
At the Malé hospital, the doctors struggled to stabilise his condition. But as it kept deteriorating, the doctors recommended Simon be taken to an advanced institution with world-class medical facilities. East-West rescue, which runs air ambulance services, coordinated with Simon’s insurance company doctors. Their assessment was that the best possible treatment was available at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, which was comprehensively equipped to handle such a delicate case.
After a four-hour flight, Simon was in New Delhi. His treatment was now in the experienced hands of Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals’ doctors. Dr Tarun Sahni, Senior Consultant, Internal & Hyperbaric Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, revealed, “When Simon arrived, though conscious, he was mildly disoriented. He received immediate recompression therapy. His brain MRI indicated some embolic areas in the brain, attributed to Decompression Sickness. Having treated him as he pulled through, he truly seems a miracle man, thanks to his tremendous strength and positivity, which allowed him to emerge from such a traumatic event. Slowly, his cognitive functions and recall of the incident have improved. Mild parenthesia in both lower limbs has decreased and his gait has steadily improved. Simon’s survival story is an excellent example of a miracle.”
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