The Prime Minister underwent surgery last weekend, Matignon’s services said. The pathology from which the head of government suffers is a “cervical injury”.
What is the illness that affects Michel Barnier, aged 73? The Prime Minister did not want to indicate himself that he was affected by a pathology requiring surgical intervention, leaving it to Matignon’s services to announce it to the French, via a press release. It was therefore the Matignon hotel which made public a very short letter from the Prime Minister’s doctor, which succinctly reports that “the Prime Minister was operated on this weekend for a cervical lesion, the results of which of the analysis will be known within a few weeks.
“Everything went very well. He resumed his work normally today at the Hôtel de Matignon and will resume his public activities with the Council of Ministers this Thursday,” adds the press release. AFP contacted the Prime Minister’s services, but none of Michel Barnier’s collaborators wished to provide further details on this rapid hospitalization and surgical intervention.
The Prime Minister’s doctor, however, clearly mentioned the cervical lesion which affects the head of government. What is it about? An injury to the cervical region concerns the upper part of the spine. This is not trivial since this region supports the head: it is what allows a wide range of movements and protects the spinal cord, which is crucial for the transmission of information between the brain and the rest of the body. A cervical injury can therefore lead to serious consequences, ranging from localized pain to permanent disability, depending on the severity of the injury.
Matignon insisted on the fact that Michel Barnier was not prevented by this illness, but results are nevertheless expected. Let us add that cervical lesions can be of several types:
- These can include neck sprains, injuries to the ligaments and muscles surrounding the vertebrae. Whiplash injuries are often the result of sudden movements or blows, such as “whiplash” in car accidents. They cause pain and stiffness in the neck.
- Cervical fractures are more painful: we are talking about a break in one of the cervical vertebrae. It usually results from violent trauma, such as a fall or car accident, and can cause significant damage to the spinal cord.
- In the case of cervical disc herniations, the intervertebral disc between two vertebrae shifts or cracks, compressing nearby nerves. This can lead to pain radiating down the arms, tingling and even loss of strength.*
- Finally, spinal cord injuries are among the most serious: an injury to the cervical cord can cause greater sensory and motor problems, they can affect breathing abilities and movements of the upper and lower limbs.
Complications from a neck injury can be serious, especially if they involve the spinal cord. Besides mobility problems, they can also affect respiratory function, digestion and even blood pressure. Surgical intervention is generally performed when the injury is a fracture or if it affects the spinal cord.