multi21

Thanks for giving us some insight into this from an experts point of view.


Kubica was put into an induced coma last night. This is the latest. Don't know what it means to be able to move your fingers but .....


Kubica’s condition ‘much better’ on Monday
7 February 2011
Following his shocking rally accident on Sunday, the first Monday bulletin from Lotus Renault GP has thankfully stated that Robert Kubica is now ‘much better’ after being kept under constant observation overnight. However, several more days must pass before doctors can declare his seven-hour surgery successful.

Issued by Lotus Renault GP at 1pm GMT on Monday, the latest statement reads:

‘After spending the night under constant observation, he was briefly woken up by the doctors of the Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure) this morning. The Lotus Renault GP driver was then able to talk to his relatives. He was also able to move his fingers, which is encouraging for the rest of his recovery process. Professor Mario Igor Rossello, Director for the Regional Centre of Hand Surgery at San Paolo Hospital in Savona, did not notice any swelling or infection on his right forearm, and this is another good sign, although it will be several days before it is known if the operation has been 100% successful.

In order to avoid any physical stress, Robert will be put under gentle medication in order to sleep for the next 24 hours at least. Meanwhile, the doctors will decide how they will treat his elbow and shoulder fractures. Robert may have to undergo surgery once again for this, but not for a few days.

Lotus Renault GP wishes to thank the Hospital of San Paolo (Savona) and the Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure) for their professional approach and their dedication.

Lotus Renault GP will issue another update on Robert’s condition later this evening.

DAVISRILEY

I just hope he keeps use of the hand, and if he can drive, that's a bonus. I just can't believe he got that hurt, and all on the right side. Appears the guardrail came up through the floorboard and into the right side of the drivers seat. Frightening.

9.5 Degrees

I truly hope he recovers, but I really have to wonder what he is doing in a rally car in the first place. We are no longer in the off season, this past week he was testing the new F1 car and was scheduled to do so again this week. I don't subscribe to the weekend warrior racer when your a professional and the #1 driver for a team making millions of dollars a year to drive their car.

RajDatta

Prayers with Kubica and his family. It would be a huge loss.

500

Hey jbossolo, thank you for providing your expertise, I value reading informed opinion. I have read a few other posts from people that also seem knowledgable about these matters on James Allen's blog as well as Joe Saward's. There is a lot of consensus that these are injuries which will likely terminate Robert's F1 career. My only hope is that the surgeon's comments yesterday were very guarded and "worst-case" and that the inferences you made, based upon those comments, turn out to be worse than reality (I understand your opinion can only be based on whatever has been revealed in the media).

Today's news seems a little more optimistic, I'd be curious to hear your opinion on the significance of Robert having moved his fingers a little?

Robert is one of the true real racers and may have the most talent of all. I pray that he recovers fully and am thankful that, as bad as the crash was, it was not worse, which it could easily have been.

Final thought: Kubica's first words when he was woken up were to ask how his co-driver was - I think that says something too.

jbossolo

No problem guys, glad to be of any help. His moving the fingers this early on is indeed a good sign, but it's still too early to tell. It sounds like he still has some other upper extremity fractures that require treatment. The worst one (other than the hand) will be his elbow. They are notorious for stiffening up after injury and surgery, and the elbow is of paramount importance in positioning the hand in space, something that's critical for a driver. I said a prayer for him last night. It's almost surreal that something like this would happen to one of these guys. I hope he makes it through all this with a minimal functional loss, but the realist in me expects otherwise.

A.Wayne

This is sad , possibly career ending injury , same as Nannini ....

Flav thinks otherwise :

Briatore visits Kubica, predicts recovery

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89328


Co-driver explains Kubica crash

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89327

DAVISRILEY

Sure does. Really hope he can come back.

cab&coupe

+1

Chads996

Not sure if you guys have seen this. Found it on a BMW forum...

Damn. Sure hope he makes it back.

cab&coupe

Wow... freaking guardrails, they're lucky one of them weren't impaled.

Chads996

Kubica was. Right leg, and his forearm was partially severed.

C.

DAVISRILEY

Holy S**T! That is awful. He really is lucky to be alive.

MM-Racing

the point is that this steel barier went through a car across. They are lucky they are alive. Robert was in critiacl condition. He lost 4-6 liters of blood. The surgery was done localy because he was unable to be transported.
Kuba is back in Poland, Robert is a little better now. Drs are going to do further surgeries in order to get recovery... Now we should wait...and the Drs do adequence steps of recovery.
Robert be back...we all hope

Circuit Motorsports

I hope not. That's about all the blood in the average human.