can we resume sport after an induced coma?

2023-07-03 16:37:38

The Sevilla goalkeeper woke up after 22 days in an induced coma. Now awaits a long recovery period. It is not known if the player will have any consequences, but other athletes who have experienced the same situation have been able to resume their activity.

Last update : July 03, 2023

After 22 days in a coma induced by a riding accident, the PSG goalkeeper woke up and was able to come out of sedation. His partner, Alba Silva, said he recognizes his loved ones, although he still hasn’t gotten his speech back.

Although this is an important and hopeful step, the consequences can be diverse and the process is long.. However, other athletes have had exceptional rehabilitations that have enabled them to return to professional competition.

The induced coma from which Sergio Rico is recovering

After winning the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain, the Spanish goalkeeper traveled to the village of El Rocío. There he suffered a fall while riding his horse during the pilgrimage. The animal kicked him causing a head injury with brain damage.

He was immediately transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Virgen del Rocío Hospital in Seville, where he was intubated and went into an induced coma. Also known as “pharmacological coma”, this is a procedure that deliberately reduces brain function.

Through different medications, the patient is admitted under sedation so that brain activities require less oxygen, blood and glucose. In this way, the organ “rests” and its recovery is favoured.

Since brain damage increases intracranial pressure, the induced coma seeks to protect against such damage by reducing blood flow and fluid accumulation. During this time, the patient is continuously monitored to review their progress.

Although it is generally a safe procedure, it has risks that mean it is only used in extreme cases.

[/atomik -lu-aussi ]

How is Sergio Rico’s recovery going?

The time a patient spends in a pharmacological coma depends on each case, but we always try to keep it as short as possible. They can spend between 2 days and 2 weeksalthough there are people who are more than 6 months old.

As for recovery, it is subject to initial damage, among other things. Sergio Rico’s case was one of trauma with brain damage.

It is common that when leaving the induced coma, people go through the following problems:

Blood clots in the legs from inactivity. Loss of muscle mass. Neurological alterations. urinary infections.

This type of injury can have physical or psychological consequences. However, it is very difficult to determine its extent, since it depends on gravity. As for Sergio Rico, there is no doubt that the goalkeeper has taken a big step towards recovery.

Is it possible to resume sport after an induced coma?

Recovery is slow and gradual. The first thing that is usually done is a series of assessments by physiotherapists, psychologists, kinesiologists and speech therapists. All these professionals support the recovery processas it is common for it to take weeks or months to speak or walk again.

In addition, the lost muscle mass must be recovered; something key for athletes like Sergio Rico. For this reason, the role of kinesiologists is essential. They usually perform resistance exercises and muscle strengthening, cardiorespiratory activation and cognitive stimulation, among others.

recovery exercise

Evolution is subject to each individual case, but over time, many people make a full recovery. A publication from the Cochrane Library, which compiles various studies carried out on patients who have undergone intensive care, suggests that the positive effect of exercise programs depends on each individual case.

The collection includes 6 studies conducted on 483 participants. Half reported improvements in functional exercise capacity, while the others found no effect. The publication concludes that it not possible to determine an overall effect of exercise intervention after ICU discharge.

Athletes who resumed their activities after the induced coma

Beyond the particularities of each patient, some people who have gone through a pharmacological coma have been able to resume the practice of sports activities.

Fabio Jakobsen

The Dutch cyclist suffered a serious fall during the Tour of Poland in 2020, which caused injuries to his jaw, face and skull. He lost almost all of his teeth, received 130 stitches in his face and his vocal cords were paralyzed.

After spending a few days in an artificial coma and several surgeries, he began to evolve favorably. Despite the injuries, only 3 months after the event he was able to cycle again and 8 months later he returned to professional competitions in the Tour of Turkey.

Jakobsen represents an emblematic case of sports recovery after going through an induced coma. In addition to physical work, his mental strength stands out to return to the elite circuitswhere he also won important victories.

alvaro wheat

The Madrid native is a sports enthusiast who suffered an accident in 2018. The house he was in caught fire and he suffered burns to 63% of his skin. He remained in a coma for 10 days, while they had to perform numerous transplants to recover his dermis.

Gradually he began to walk again and, while the forecast for him to be able to run was negative, he focused his efforts on training that allowed him to register for the Seville Marathon. Only a year after the accident, Trigo took part in the competition.

The Madrid native has rebuilt his life thanks to a physical activity geared towards solidarity. He competed in the Formentera swim event in Seville in 2021, and the Cíes Islands swim event in Vigo the following year. In turn, he continued to train for new marathons and kayak races.

Zambia junior

In 2020, the French footballer was plunged into a coma due to the severity of the symptoms he presented with COVID-19. He had to be intubated and hooked up to a respirator.

However, he was able to wake up and begin his recovery. Sambia has returned to professional activity and has been signed by US Salernitana in Italywhere he currently works as a midfielder.

[/atomik -lu-aussi ]

Sergio Rico recovers, but has a long way to go

The news that the goalkeeper is out of sedation is encouraging for his overall health. However, the rehabilitation that awaits us is arduous and gradual.

Little is known about the extent of the initial brain damage he suffered, so it is also difficult to know if he will have any after-effects or if he will be able to return to competition. However, it is possible to resume sport after an induced coma, as several athletes have already demonstrated.