Chatham doctor’s emergency surgery praised

Press, 7 September 1982, Page 1

Chatham doctor’s emergency surgery praised

Christchurch's neurosurgeon has praised the efforts of the Chatham Islands’ doctor who on Friday evening performed emergency surgery on an island girl who • had suspected brain damage. Dr John Alehin operated on the girl for more than seven hours to find and remove blood clots from around her brain.

The girl, Sheryl Thomas, aged 13, suffered serious head, leg, and arm injuries when the motor-cycle she was riding hit a bridge pylon at the Waitangi beach, about 3.20 p.m. on Friday. She, was rushed unconscious to the island’s hospital where Dr Alehin remained with. her almost constantly until a Royal New Zealand Air Force Frienship arrived to carry her to Christchurch yesterday morning. The aircraft was met by an ambulance at Wigram

airbase, and the girl was transferred to Christchurch Hospital. Mr M. R. MacFarlane, who heads Christchurch Hospital's neurosurgery unit, said that Dr Alehin coped marvellously with a problem which needed urgent' treatment. The hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr D. A. Andrews, was also full of praise for Dr Alehin. “He did everything possible — exactly. what was called for,” he said. The neurosurgery team operated on her last evening. Afterwards, although the girl remained unconscious and seriously ill, doctors were pleased with her progress and the “marvellous” job done by Dr Alehin. The doctor’s work had been so thorough that the Christchurch team could do little more than treat the girl’s fractures. Dr Alehin yesterday described the emergency from

the time the girl arrived at the Chathams hospital. He examined her and telephoned Christchurch Hospital for advice. After hearing his descripton of the girl’s injuries and her condition, the Christchurch doctors said that little could be done to save her. About 15 minutes later, the Christchurch doctors telephoned back and, after some discussion, it was decided that Dr Alehin would try to trace and remove clotting round the girl’s brain. Although he had assisted in a similar operation before, it was the first such surgery he had performed. The girl had lost a lot of blood and she required a hospital transfusion. Fortunately, the hospital holds a list of most of the island residents’ blood types for such emergencies. Dr Alehin, assisted by a small team from the hospital, spent from 5 p.m. until after midnight operating on the girl’s skull. “After ’midnight she started to improve. She opened her eyes a little and seemed to respond slightly to questions,” he said.

The aircraft, carrying an anaesthetist, a staff nurse from the Christchurch Hospital intensive-care unit, and a R.N.Z.A.F. medical officer, landed at the island's airstrip about 6.30 a.m.

The party examined the girl at the hospital, finished preparations for her flight, and the aircraft left for Christchurch about 10.20 a m. It carried emergency equipment in case the girl’s condition deteriorated at high altitude. The girl’s parents accompanied her on the flight to Christchurch.

It was the third such operation to have been performed on the island since 1976. One was successful, but the other patient died.