The time it takes to help a patient after a stroke is about 4,5 hours. Gienek Loska did not have surgery until 11 hours later. He has not yet woken up from his coma. If we could transport him to the best awakening specialist in Poland, prof. Wojciech Maksymowicz, his chances of recovery would be greater. – Thanks to our experience, we could do very good diagnostics and try to wake the patient up – says the neurosurgeon.
- On May 5, 2018, Gienek Loska Band suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Until now, she is in a coma
- The time it takes to help a patient after a stroke is about 4,5 hours. Gienek Loska was operated on only after 11 hours
- Neurosurgeon prof. W. Maksymowicz awakened many patients from coma. – The most spectacular awakenings occur after injuries. Strokes are worse. But even in the case of strokes, there are wake-ups
- Almost half of those who survive a stroke are unable to eat, walk or use the toilet on their own. Intensive rehabilitation can bring many of them back to normal life. In Poland, you have to wait too long for her
On May 5, 2018, while visiting his mother in Belarus, the leader of the Gienek Loska Band (in 2011 he won the finals of the first Polish edition of the X Factor program) suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage and was operated on at the hospital in Baranavichy only after 11 hours. He hasn’t woken up yet after this operation. Now she is at home, but at our mother’s in Białoziersk, Belarus. «He is still in a coma, eats through the probe, breathes on his own thanks to a tracheostomy, but he communicates better with the world, hears, reacts vividly to touch, words, information, the presence of loved ones and wants to wake up very much. There is no possibility and no clear medical indications for transport to Poland yet, although it is being intensively checked »- we read in the statement of the Polish Music Foundation.
They wake up patients in Olsztyn
From a medical point of view, two to three months after losing consciousness, we are talking about a vegetative state, not a coma. The patient may then find themselves in a state of minimal awareness. He inconsistently shows signs of contact with the world, e.g. cries or laughs, follows objects with his eyes, reacts to simple verbal commands. The manifestations of consciousness are sporadic but repetitive. However, conscious communication with the sick person remains impossible. Such patients have better prognosis.
Neurosurgeon prof. W. Maksymowicz has already awakened many patients from coma. – The most spectacular awakenings occur after injuries. It’s a bit worse with strokes. It all depends on how extensive it was. But also in the case of strokes, there are wake-ups, the doctor says. From 2016, prof. Maksymowicz in Olsztyn runs the Budzik clinic for adults. Previously, he performed many operations of implanting stimulators into the brain, which helped children from the clinic run by the Ewa Błaszczyk Foundation return to the state of consciousness. Unfortunately, at the admission to the clinic, prof. Maksymowicz is waiting in the line.
Stroke attacks younger and younger people
Stroke in a 30- or 40-year-old is not uncommon. However, the time it takes for the patient to be helped is about four and a half hours. Gienek Loska was operated on only after 11 hours. A stroke occurs when the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the brain become blocked or damaged by a blood clot. The thrombus can be the size of a pinhead or a grain of rice. There are also several centimeters.
A sick person may lose the use of limbs, the ability to coordinate movements, stop speaking or see, and also lose the ability to understand speech. In many cases, a stroke is life-threatening. – If there is cerebral ischemia, necrosis is not avoided. However, you can try to reduce its area. Therefore, the patient should be given anticoagulants as soon as possible. Sometimes procedures are also performed to clear the vessels – explains Adam Kobayashi from the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw.
A stroke does not hurt, and its symptoms are ignored by patients. Worse, they are also often very unusual, but the most characteristic symptom is the drooping of the corner of the mouth, paresis of the arm or leg. The doctors themselves do not recognize a stroke in time.
Need for rehabilitation
Almost half of those who survive a stroke are unable to eat, walk or use the toilet on their own. Intensive rehabilitation could bring many of them back to normal life. Meanwhile, it is waited too long for her. The case of 45-year-old Robert Wierzbicki, who suffered a stroke and was qualified for treatment at the 22nd Military Health Resort and Rehabilitation Hospital in Ciechocinek in 20 years, became loud when Fakty TVN broadcast material about his troubles. Rehabilitation can be purchased privately, but the cost of one hour is about PLN 100, which means that the patient needs about PLN 2 per month. zloty. For many patients, this is an unattainable amount.
Dr. Kobayashi talks about stroke patients returning to work. – A patient aged around 40 did not walk as a result of a stroke and could not move his right arm. After two years, thanks to rehabilitation, he comes to me on his own and says that he is starting work. Another one, due to a stroke, stopped seeing in one eye. Rehabilitation also brought good results in this case, the patient can see and even drive a car. We had a patient, a coach of a top league volleyball team. He also returned to his profession after his illness – says the neurologist.
Dr. Kobayashi explains that until recently it was thought that the nervous tissue did not have the ability to regenerate. Meanwhile, it turned out otherwise. Besides, man doesn’t use the whole brain. If part of it dies, the rest can take over its functions. Rehabilitation by constant stimulation to movement activates the brain to act. – It’s like a child learning to play the piano. Initially, he can knock out sounds with just one finger. However, constant exercise activates the brain and the young pianist is able to coordinate the work of both hands on the keyboard. Rehabilitation has a similar effect on the brain, explains the neurologist.