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A former NHL star almost died and needed several organ transplants after being stung by a cactus.
Lyle Odelein, whose career spanned two decades, played golf with friends in Phoenix, Arizona, when he went to the tall grbad to retrieve a ball.
It's at that time that a "jumping cactus" – a part of the plant that comes off at the slightest touch – has got stuck in the 50-year-old man's leg, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Odelein and his friends managed to get out, but a week later, after complaining of legs and flu-like symptoms, he was in a Pennsylvania hospital where he resides.
The doctors told his family that he was suffering from a life-threatening blood infection – probably caused by the cactus – that was blocking several organs and, unless he found donors, he had a 5% chance to survive.
Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lyle Odelein, 50 (left and right, 1999), was playing golf with his friends in Phoenix, Arizona, in March 2018, when he was stung by a "jumping cactus" – a part of the plant that comes off the slightest touch
A week later, Odelein went to Allegheny General Hospital, near his home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after complaining of a torn leg and pseudo-like symptoms. -grippaux. On this picture: Odelein in october 2001
It is not known if a bacterium, a virus or a fungus has caused the infection to Odeline.
However, a 2017 study Led by the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix examined infections caused by injuries by thorns in Arizona.
The researchers found that the most common cause was Stapphylococcus aureus, a common bacterium found on the skin and the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections, such as abscesses, boils and cellulitis.
But, in some cases, infections have been caused by Nocardia, a bacterium found in soil and water; Aspergillus, an airborne mushroom; and P lilacinum, a bacterium found in forests, meadows and deserts.
Odelein was placed in a coma of medical origin so that doctors at Allegheny General Hospital could examine the severity of the infection.
They found that the infection had severely damaged his aortic valve, which closes to retain the blood before being pumped and opens to allow the blood to leave the heart.
In fact, the valve was so damaged that half of the blood that was pumped through the heart was sent back into the body, not flowing throughout the body, according to the Post-Gazette.
In addition, inappropriate blood flow resulted in complete failure of the liver and one of the kidneys.
"He was very, very, very sick," Dr. Ngoc Thai, a transplant surgeon at Allegheny General Hospital who treated Odelein, told the paper.
"There were only two options. Either we intervened and he improved, or Lyle was about to die.
The doctors discovered that he was suffering from a life-threatening blood infection – probably due to the cactus – that had severely damaged the aortic valve and caused the closure of his liver and kidneys. On the picture: Odelein in November 2005
He was placed in a coma of medical origin and the doctors told his family that he needed a triple graft very unusual and rare.
The only way to save his life was to perform a very unusual triple graft of the aortic valve, liver and kidneys.
It is the first of its kind to have been executed in western Pennsylvania and it is so rare that it is unclear how many of these operations were performed.
Doctors are also struggling to determine whether organs would be better served if they were transplanted to someone at a lower risk of death, the daily Post-Gazette reported.
"The last thing we want to do is take someone who is at such a high risk that it will not benefit," said Dr. Stephen Bailey, director of Allegheny's cardiac surgery division.
"We knew that he was a very strong man who could take a hit. In the end, we felt that he had enough chances to survive and thrive. & # 39;
The case of Odelein is so rare that it will be reported in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia.
When it was learned that a donor with a kidney and a healthy liver was available for Odelein, he had been in a coma for almost a month.
During an operation of 19 hours on April 4 and 5, the surgical team first replaced his aortic valve with that of a cow, then the liver and finally the kidney.
Only hours after the intervention, Odelein woke up from coma and – although he showed signs of alertness – he could not move anything from his neck to his feet.
The doctors discovered that he was suffering from a severe neuropathy, a complication following a serious trauma or infection.
The 19 hour operation was carried out on April 4th and 5th. She was a success, but left Odelein temporarily paralyzed, which forced her to undergo intense physical treatment. On the photo: Odelein in December 2009 with former teammate Claude Lemieux
In July, Odelein was allowed to go home – but it took months before he could walk alone again, albeit with a cane. On the picture: Odelein in February 1996
It is characterized by extreme limb weakness or difficulty getting rid of mechanical ventilation.
According to a French study conducted in 2002, ICU patients would run between 47% and 90% of the risks of developing one or the other of these conditions.
People who suffer from it often need to undergo grueling physical therapy and rehabilitate to regain strength.
"What's sad is that, while he was coming out of this delusion and that he was more conscious, he was aware of the fact that he was paralyzed," said the Dr. Thai at the Post-Gazette. "It was hard. I could say that it was difficult. It was hard for us.
After a few weeks, Odelein began to feel movement again and started an intense physical therapy program.
"Every day, I have a little better," he told the newspaper. "The most difficult thing was probably trying to get up to take that first step."
In June, he left Allegheny and entered an inpatient rehabilitation unit at West Penn Hospital.
In July, he was allowed to go home – but it took months before he could walk alone again, although now with a cane.
Despite the grueling medical test, Odelein said he could not wait to be back on the golf course.
Odelein was a defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens team from 1989 to 1996 – and won the Stanley Cup in 1993 – before being traded to the New Jersey Devils.
He then played for the Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins before retiring in 2006.
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