Sharon unlikely to regain consciousness - doctors
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-02-07 11:02
There has been no sign that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon,
who has been in hospital since a January 4 severe stroke, is likely
to regain consciousness, doctors said on Monday.
There has been no improvement in Sharon's condition, and he is
still breathing with the aid of a respirator as Jerusalem's
Hadassah Hospital where Sharon has been treated, still defines his
condition as "serious but stable."
Based on information released by the hospital, doctors not involved
in Sharon's treatment said that his condition can be defined as
"vegetative."
However, doctors said that the possibility that Sharon would regain
consciousness, though slim, cannot yet be completely ruled out and
that there was a slight chance that he could regain some of his
physical and mental capabilities.
"His age, his medical background and the dramatic nature of his
stroke are not in the prime minister's favor," said Dr. Avraham
Lazari, deputy director of the Re'ut rehabilitation hospital and an
expert on rehabilitative medicine.
But he added that people in Sharon's condition did occasionally
regain consciousness.
"The tendency worldwide is to wait until half a year has passed
since the event in order to say whether the patient will regain
full consciousness or not," Lazari said.
The prime minister's own doctors have not yet offered any
assessment of the likelihood of his regaining consciousness.
Generally, a vegetative patient can breathe on his own, go through
regular sleep cycles and may even make occasional involuntary
movements such as opening eyes, but is not aware of his
surroundings and cannot speak or heed instructions.
Veteran Israeli politician Sharon, architect of Israel's Gaza
pullout last summer, has remained in critical but stable condition
since he suffered a massive stroke and cerebral haemorrhage on
January 4.
Experts believe that the ex-general is unlikely to return to the
Israeli political stage.