Doctors treating Michael Schumacher refused Monday to predict an
outcome for the former Formula One driver, saying they were taking his
very critical head injury "hour by hour" following a skiing accident.
Chief anaesthesiologist Jean-Francois Payen told reporters the
seven-time racing champion is still in a medically induced coma. He said
the medical team was focusing only on his current condition.
"We cannot predict the future for Michael Schumacher," Payen said.
"He is in a critical state in terms of cerebral resuscitation," he added. "We are working hour by hour."
Schumacher, the most successful driver in Formula One history,
arrived at the Grenoble University Hospital Center a day earlier already
in a coma and immediately underwent brain surgery.
The German driver was skiing with his son Sunday morning in the
French Alpine resort of Meribel when he fell and hit the right side of
his head on a rock. He was wearing a helmet, but the doctors said it was
clearly not sufficient to prevent a serious brain injury.
"Someone who had suffered this accident without a helmet would not have made it this far," Payen said.
Gerard Saillant, a trauma surgeon who operated on Schumacher when he
broke his leg in a race crash in 1999, was at the hospital. But he said
he was there in his capacity as a friend, not a doctor. He did, however,
tell reporters that Schumacher's age -- he turns 45 on Jan. 3 -- and
his fitness should work in his favor.
But the Grenoble medical team was being very cautious about
Schumacher's prognosis. They are working to relieve pressure on his
brain and have lowered his body temperature to between 34 and 35 degrees
Celsius (93.2 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit), as part of the medically
induced coma.
Schumacher has been seriously hurt before. He broke his leg in a
crash at the Silverstone race course in 1999. He also suffered serious
neck and spine injuries after a motorcycling accident in February 2009
in Spain.
The area where Schumacher was skiing is part of a web of trails that
slice down through a vast and, in parts, very steep snowfield. Although
challenging, the snowfield is not extreme skiing: The runs are broad and
neatly tended, and the ungroomed area in between, known as off-piste --
where the resort said Schumacher was found -- is free of trees.
The resort said Schumacher was conscious when first responders arrived on the scene, although agitated and in shock.
But on Monday, Payen said after the fall Schumacher was not in
"normal state of consciousness." He was not responding to questions and
his limbs appeared to be moving involuntarily.
He was airlifted to a local hospital and then later brought to
Grenoble. Doctors said this stopover was typical and did not affect his
condition.
His wife and other family members are by his bedside.
"The family is not doing very well obviously. They are shocked," said
his manager Sabine Kehm, who added that the family still appreciated
the outpouring of support for Schumacher.
As news of the accident spread, Formula One drivers and fans rushed to wish Schumacher a quick recovery.
"Like millions of Germans, the chancellor and members of the
government were extremely dismayed when they heard about Michael
Schumacher's serious skiing accident," German Chancellor Angela Merkel's
spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in Berlin.
Sebatian Vettel, who was once referred to as "Baby Schumi," told
German news agency DPA: "I am shocked and hope that he will get better
as soon as possible."
During his career, Schumacher notched up seven drivers' championships
and 91 race wins. After initial success with the Benetton team,
Schumacher moved to Ferrari and helped turn the Italian team into the
sport's dominant force. After initially retiring in 2006, he made a
comeback in 2010 and raced for three years with Mercedes.