A long period of rehabilitation awaits him. Nine days after heavy fall when prepair of the descent of Bormio (Italy) in the World Cup Friday December 27, skier Cyprien Sarrazin “doing well” but will begin a long recovery period, indicated Stéphane Bulle, doctor of the French ski teams, Saturday January 4, during a press briefing. The skier, whose season is over, is currently still hospitalized, Médipôle Lyon-Villeurbanne.
What is the condition of Cyprien Sarrazin?
Stéphane Bulle: [Après sa chute]il was immediately transported to Sandalo Hospital (in Lombardy) by helicopter, where he was very quickly diagnosed with an acute subdural hematoma, which is a hematoma located inside the skull. It quickly got worse and led to compression.
In agreement with the neurosurgeons, we made a burr hole, that is to say a hole in the skull with suction to empty the blood inside the hematoma. It is a pathology which is relatively serious and whichi will take us on a definite period of recovery. Cyprien was transferred on Friday to the Médipôle Lyon-Villeurbanne, where he is hospitalized in a neurosurgery care unit. Today he is doing well.
What can you tell us about this “recovery period”?
With the neurosurgeons, we will begin rehabilitation, in order to allow him to do everyday things, such as sit on the edge of a bed, eat properly, stand up. We talk about periods which will be relatively long, much longer than on a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament for example, which we are used to doing.
“We are talking in months and not in weeks. However, it is much too early to detail the stages now.”
Stéphane Bulle, doctor of the French ski teamsat a press conference
In the future, we will try to transfer him to a care and rehabilitation service. because this is probably where he will be best supported for rehabilitation. This center specializes in neurological rehabilitation, for people who have been victims of significant trauma.
Does it have other after-effects?
He still has a little difficulty opening his eyes because he suffers from diplopia, itthat is to say that the reflexes which coordinate your two eyes are a little disturbed following the hyperpressure in the skull. VYour two eyes are no longer completely coordinated and you have double vision. These are things that will be re-educated in the weeks to come.
Regarding the [éventuels] cognitive problems, a definitive assessment will be carried out in the coming days. He is very tired. He’s still having a hard time communicating. When you come out of this “coma” period, you are really exhausted. And it’s very complicated to have a normal life, a normal flow of language. But I am relatively calm. He seems to be doing really well.
Was he able to communicate with you? Is he aware of what happened?
Yes, he knows perfectly well what happened to him. IHe was really relieved to be repatriated to France. He is conscious, he has no problem with it. The doctor who was with him in Bormio spent a lot of time at his side. Indeed, he didn’t communicate too much because he spent a large part of the day sleeping. But when there was communication, it made sense.
Do you think a return to competition is possible in the medium or long term?
I can’t say it. On the other hand, everything we are going to put in place is for him to return to competition. L’The entire federal system will be there to support the resumption of skiing. I have absolutely no idea where this is going to take us. But that is our goal.
