54 minutes ago
Roman Kostomarov
For the Olympic champion in figure skating Roman Kostomarov, all people who are not indifferent to someone else’s misfortune are now experiencing. The athlete is struggling with severe pneumonia. When it became known that the skater came to his senses and was able to communicate with loved ones, there was hope that the disease was receding. But a new misfortune struck – Kostomarov’s feet were amputated. The doctors took this measure to save the patient’s life. We sincerely wish Roman a speedy recovery. And we will try to understand why pneumonia, familiar to many, required such radical methods of salvation.
Roman Kostomarov was admitted to intensive care on January 10 with bilateral pneumonia. Shortly before that, the athlete participated in the show “The Wizard of Oz” as part of the ice project of Ilya Averbukh. The event took place on an open rink. Perhaps then Roman caught a cold.
In the hospital, Kostomarov developed bilateral hydrothorax in his lungs – an accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavities. Doctors put the Olympic champion into a medically induced coma, after which they connected him to artificial lung ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to saturate the blood with oxygen. However, problems with blood circulation began, and necrosis began to develop in the tissues of the legs. On February 6, due to the threat of the spread of infection, Kostomarov had an ankle amputation. Under the threat of a hand – doctors are doing everything possible to save them.
pivot point
“When a patient is connected to a life support apparatus, there is often a threat of tissue necrosis,” explains Andrey Eroshenko, a vascular surgeon. – This procedure is aimed at maintaining blood flow, primarily in the brain and heart. In this case, peripheral tissues and organs may suffer from a lack of blood supply. Particularly vulnerable are the arms and legs most distant from the heart, where areas of necrosis may occur. If an infection joins the necrosis and there is a risk of its spread throughout the body, sepsis may develop, so surgeons are forced to remove dead tissue. Thrombi can become another cause of blockage of blood vessels, when blood coagulation is disturbed due to a serious condition and multiple pathologies.
The same tissue lesions (necrotic tissue lesions of the foot gangrene) are often found in atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus – this is the most common cause of non-traumatic amputation of the legs. Even 50 years ago, the only possible way to help such patients and save the patient’s life was to amputate the entire leg. Modern technologies make it possible to restore blood flow through vessels of very small diameter, including those in the lower leg and foot, achieve wound healing and avoid amputation. But the condition of Roman Kostomarov is most likely caused by another reason.
Why is the athlete so hard to endure the disease? The reaction of the body to the infectious process is always individual. Pneumonia is a deadly disease. There are lightning-fast forms, when the patient can die in a day, and this is not the fault of the doctors. As for the loss of a leg, after the operation and stabilization of the patient’s condition, specialists try to preserve the supporting function of the limb as much as possible. With amputation at the level of the lower leg or thigh, it is possible to manufacture a prosthesis, and in a situation with relatively young patients, the chance of recovery is high. But this will all be later. The main thing now for Roman is to eliminate the threat to life.
Illness not according to plan
– Pneumonia is often disguised as SARS and bronchitis, the expert warns. – And when it is detected, a person’s condition can be critical. Symptoms in the classic course – temperature above 38 degrees for more than three days, cough with sputum, in which streaks of blood are visible, shortness of breath, increased respiratory rate, wheezing, decreased saturation, weakness. But with an atypical course, these signs may be absent. In the case of viral pneumonia, only a CT scan can show tissue damage. In order not to miss the time, you should consult a doctor so that he can prescribe the necessary examination.
Reference
Roman Kostomarov – champion of the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin in a duet with Tatyana Navka. Also, the skaters became two-time world champions, three-time European champions and winners of the Grand Prix series final.
By the way
- The situation with the skater is reminiscent of the tragic story of Yulia Nachalova. When she began to have sepsis and the question arose about the amputation of the toe, from which the inflammation began, she flatly refused the operation. The singer died due to a severe abscess and blood poisoning. She was 38 years old.
world of infinity
- Pope Francis had part of his lung removed due to an infection. This happened 60 years ago, when antibiotics were not so common. Now the pontiff is 86 – for more than ten years he has been at the head of the Vatican.
- Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in a car accident when he was involved in a race with another car and lost control. After rehabilitation, Rick returned to the stage. He plays a drum kit of his own design with his three remaining limbs.
- Fashion model Heather Mills had her leg amputated below the knee after she was hit by a motorcycle. She later married Paul McCartney and had a daughter. Having mastered the prosthesis, she set a record among people with disabilities in downhill skiing, accelerating to 166 km / h.
- Nick Vuychich has been missing both arms and both legs since birth due to a mutation in the genes. There is only part of the foot with toes. Since the age of 17, he has been giving motivational speeches, founded the Life Without Limbs Foundation. Nick is married and has healthy children – two sons and two daughters. He travels a lot and writes books.
