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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
Two days after a serious motorcycle accident, Matthieu Kassovitz gave his news, after several operations. How is the treatment of a polytraumatized patient carried out? The explanations of Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor.
Big fright for the relatives of Matthieu Kassovitz. The 56-year-old filmmaker was the victim of a serious motorcycle accident on Sunday, September 3, at the Linas-Monthléry racetrack, where he had come to take refresher courses. Ejected from his machine, he was violently thrown to the ground and suffered multiple fractures to his leg but also to his pelvis.
Matthieu Kassovitz gives news from his hospital bed
In a video posted on Instagram this Wednesday, Mathieu Kassovitz speaks from his hospital bed for the first time since his accident. “JI wanted to thank everyone who called me, who sent me messages of support. Thank you very much, I didn’t know I had so many friends. It’s nice (…) I fell off my motorcycle, stupid. I broke my femur and my ankle and I’m in rehabilitation. I come out of the operation“.
With several fractures, the actor placed “in an artificial coma”
Quickly taken care of by the emergency services and urgently transferred to the Kremlin-Bicêtre hospital, Matthieu Kassovitz was plunged into an artificial coma.
If the vital prognosis is not engaged, the functional prognosis takes precedence
“In the case of polytraumatized without vital prognosis – that is to say that no vital organ such as the brain, the heart or the lungs is affected – we focus on the functional prognosis” says Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo.
An artificial coma to control pain and take stock of lesions
“The Samu intervenes immediately and quickly intubates the patient to put him in an artificial coma, which is in fact a general anesthesia. He is then watched in a kind of recovery room, a “trauma center”. The artificial coma makes it possible to control the pain, to transport it and to proceed more easily to the assessment of the lesions by scanner“ further details Dr. Kierzek.
Be very vigilant about the risk of internal bleeding
“If the vital prognosis is not immediately committed, it is still necessary to be wary of lesions to the pelvis which occur in this type of accident with high kinetics, and which can lead to serious internal bleeding. A gesture of embolization, carried out by an interventional radiologist, may then be necessary“says our expert.
Surgical operations then coming out of the coma and rehabilitation
Once the lesion assessment has been made, the patient must be operated on if necessary and will then be released from the coma. “You have to fix the lesions, determine if the fracture(s) require an external fixator, for example… All of this comes under traumatology and orthopedics” according to Dr. Kierzek.
After coming out of the coma, comes the recovery and rehabilitation phase, which can last several weeks or even months.
The importance of motorcycle protective gear
When riding a motorcycle, it is essential to wear protective clothing and high shoes. “There are clothes that do not tear, which resist burns during falls. The jackets are also equipped with elbow pads, and reinforcements at the back, in particular” insists the doctor.
“High boots will protect the ankles in the event of an accident… It is essential to bet on good protection each time you travel on two wheels, because falling does not prevent” he concludes.