CNN Neurosurgeon Explains How Giffords Could Have Survived
- Posted on January 10, 2011 at 7:58am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
- Print »
- Email »
CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a practicing trauma neurosurgeon and associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, explains just how Rep. Gabrielle Giffords could have survived a direct gunshot wound to the head:
In an accompanying article on CNN, Gupta says that while statistics were not in Giffords’s favor, she has so far beaten the odds:
While every patient and injury is different, on average – around 2/3 of patients with a gunshot wound (GSW) to the head don’t live long enough to make it to the hospital. Of the third that do make it, only 50% of those patients survive longer than 30 days. And of course, those numbers say nothing of long-term neurological function in the survivors. [...]
In medicine and surgery, doctors are reluctant to quote statistics, because every patient is a true individual –that includes Gabrielle Giffords. And, no doubt, Giffords is not “out of the woods” yet. But, “cautiously optimistic” sounds pretty good after an injury as devastating as this one.
Comments (29)
Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 676 Comments
‘Jumah at the DNC’ Speaker: ‘Muslims Visited America Prior to Columbus’ & ‘It Was a Muslim’ Who Guided Him to the ‘New World’ 527 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 398 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 370 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 327 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 263 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 273 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 139 Comments- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 147 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 300 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 263 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
GENEPAGLIARI
Posted on January 12, 2011 at 8:29amIs it just me or do ted williams and dr. Gupta have a familial resemblance?
Report Post »mark
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 7:00pmIt could very well be that God has an important role for this brave young woman in the near future. I pray that she recovers speedily and comes through this ordeal whole in Body, Mind and Spirit.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 4:39pmI am amazed that she is still alive. God’s hand was in every step here. I pray that she has a full & complete recovery. The same prayer goes out to the others who are still hospitalized.
Report Post »dizzyinthedark
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 2:28pmWhat the good Doctor says is true about trauma to the brain (this includes tumors) and the cautious optimism, each patients recovery is individual and lengthy. Anything brain is the ‘final frontier’ so much is still unknown, but saying that there is so much they can do now to treat injuries and diseases of the brain than before.
What most people don’t understand with TBI (traumatic brain injuries) most recoveries ‘appear’ to be complete, but for the patient it is not complete. Even the doctors don’t have much sympathy because for a neurosurgeon, ‘success’ is if the patient ‘survives’ surgery and that’s all. The neurosurgeon is not concerned with what happens to the patient after this. Their job is done. On the other hand the patient will have the hardest job of all, regaining function to the best of her ability. The bullet that destroyed tissue from her brain she will notice, even though they say the brain is plastic and can relearn it is never to the optimum level it once was and she will always notice the deficit. People want to be kind and say “You look great!”, but in reality she may not feel great. This is something I remember always in my recovery. It is the ‘hidden’ disability. You ‘look’ normal, but don’t feel normal for the rest of your life. The ‘you’ you once were is gone and she will have to get to know the ‘new’ her. It will take much time adjusting and patience from all around her. I just hope she does not suffer, like some can, with pain for the rest of her life. May she have a full recovery.
Report Post »The Bees
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 1:09pmGood job Doc!
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 12:37pmI once met a man who had 1/3 of his brain removed. He shows no outward signs of injury. His wife clearly is in love with him. The biggest problem is ha has no clue how to go about the things she tells him he loves to do. He is at a loss in the Kitchen and he is confused when he went to the woods to see if he could still hunt. We mostly laughed about it.
I get the feeling that a pauper would get the exact same emergency response that this ‘v.i.p.’ got with the same injury, insurance or not. We do not have people dying in the streets as the Marxists would have us believe. We have the best medical system in the World and they want to socialize it for their nefarious agenda. NO to that! And it’s not about money!
Hands off the system that gives us the vehicle of the miraculous!~
Report Post »j_man
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 12:06pmJoe your added to the prayer list with the rest of them. We all need to break though to the younger ppl and show them what America is all about. If we change certain policies(War on Minorities a.k.a. War on Drugs; and REAL immagration reform) we will have more than enough Christians united to pass prayer in school this is the only way bring our county back form the edge of darkness.
Report Post »E1: Enlightement
bookofwisdom
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 11:19amWe thank you God for this Miracle and for letting us know you are on our side and will always protect us if we only believe. May God Bless.
Report Post »TJexcite
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 10:13amLets hope she will be back in congress in very short order with very little change. Text book case of miraculous healing
Report Post »coolwalker
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 9:52amI hope this never happens again.
Report Post »CanadianMan
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 9:49amHe asked how one can survive from a gun shot wound like that, one word = Miracle
Report Post »intlctlrdnck
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 9:15amRep Giffords is showing miraculous survival from such devastating injury is because unlike her attacker, she and all of us praying for her trusts in G^d.
Report Post »Helldogger
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 8:57amThank God he wasn’t using a .45 full of hollow points.
Report Post »Xcori8r
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 9:46amIndeed. A 9mm is a .45 set to “stun”.
Smart comments aside, all the victims are in our prayers.
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 8:14amHopefully she will make a full recovery. The person that committed this crime will be judged for his actions by a higher power. The quick action of the people there shows that not all people will run away when the shooting starts.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 9:13amThank goodness the intern was there to act quickly and she had great doctors waiting to treat her. Prayers go out for all the families affected by this horrible tragedy.
Report Post »Alvin691
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 8:09amWhen Gupta is talking medicine he really knows his stuff. When he tries to talk politics, he is in over his head.
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 8:20amAt least the interview was about Gifford, and not about who, what, or why it was done. CNN actually did an interview that didn’t try to combine three or four different subjects at once.
Report Post »joseph Fawcett
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 8:04amI would thank God first!
http://www.josephfawcettart.com please pray for my younger brother Anthony Fawcett in England, he had a massive heart attack, also contracted H1N1 flu and now is close to death. Thanks!
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 8:24amI am praying for your brother! http://wp.me/pYLB7-v9
Report Post »PeachyinGA
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 8:41amFrom this headline, I thought Giffords passed away. Better said: Dr. explains possible reasons Giffords has survived.
Report Post »missionarydad
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 9:03amGod Bless you in your own personal tragedy. You are right this is truly miraculous as we know what the normal condition of someone who has received a bullet to the head. It is amazing that anyone could survive this, God certainly has his hand in this and is mindful of your brother as well.
Report Post »missionarydad
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 9:05amBtw I am praying for your brother as well.
Report Post »dat bee
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 9:06amI will add your brother to my prayers, I hope they bear him up
Report Post »charliego
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 10:37amADDING your brother to my prayers
Report Post »SLAPTHELEFT
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 2:41pmFirst of, our hearts and prayers go out to all who have been impacted by this cowardly act of senseless violence. The Lord will stand by you in your time of pain. Ask for His mercy.
Second. Where is that little leftist snake beckisnuts? you should be ashamed of your self for all of the vitriole spewed about Beck being responsible for Giffiords’ murder. Much to your dismay, I’m 100% certain, she is fighting for her life and has more courage than your slimy little snake body could ever muster. You are an embarrassment to your parents and to all Americans.
May God have mercy on your soul. Punk.
Report Post »GeauxAlready
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 8:01amThis clown thinks man had something todo with this. Dude! God did it………………………………….
Report Post »WHIITETEAPARTY
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 7:16pmThis is what palin wanted. And convervative clowns come to her defense.
BEck is a scammer. Consevatives are actually buying his scams, gold , food.
THE ARE ACTUALLY INSURING FOOD. Like if you dropp you sandwich on the floor.
Morons, its called the 5 min rule at my house.
Hey Glen the store lanes are full at my store. like they always are. Idiot
missionarydad
Posted on January 10, 2011 at 11:26pmI agree with you that God deserves 100% of the credit. He does give man the privilege and opportunity to be blessed in playing a major role in miracles that are a daily occurrence throughout the world. It was God who intervened in not letting this be a fatal injury and it was through man that given this circumstance and using all the means, knowledge and skill available as well as fully developing the talents God gave him and through tremendous effort it becomes possible to play a major part in the work that Our Heavenly Father wills.
Yes as Jesus proved it could all be done instantly but God wants his children to be blessed and receive a portion of the satisfaction, joy and happiness that comes with accomplishments. If more on the left just understood what I am saying here they might be able to understand that God wants them to put off all of their bitterness and realize that it isn’t his will for the government to be the one and only source of carrying out his work and receiving all his blessings.
Report Post »