Pope Has Tracheotomy, Now on Respirator

AP ^ | Feb. 24, 2005 | VICTOR L. SIMPSON

[prairiebreeze]

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope John Paul II underwent a successful operation Thursday night to insert a tube in his throat to relieve his breathing problems, hours after he was rushed back to the hospital for the second time in a month with flu-like symptoms of fever and congestion, the Vatican said.

The pope was conscious and back in his hospital room late Thursday, breathing with the help of a respirator, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

A top aide to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who visited the pope said John Paul was "serene" after waking up from the anesthesia. The pope raised his hand and attempted to speak with doctors but was told not to try, Cabinet Undersecretary Gianni Letta told reporters at Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome.

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the tracheotomy lasted 30 minutes and the outcome was "positive." The pope had approved the procedure, which the Vatican characterized as elective - underscoring that it was not done as an emergency measure.

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The frail, 84-year-old pontiff, who was taken to the hospital shortly before 11 a.m. in an ambulance, will be spending the night in his hospital room, Navarro-Valls said.

But the tracheotomy may require a longer hospital stay and have serious consequences for the pope's abilities to carry out his duties since he will not be able to speak, at least initially, while the breathing tube is in his throat.

Before the tracheotomy, outside medical experts had said John Paul may have pneumonia. However, Navarro-Valls' statement made no reference to pneumonia, saying the pope suffered a narrowing of his larynx.

President Bush, flying home from a European trip, said in a statement: "On behalf of all Americans, Laura and I send our heartfelt best wishes to Pope John Paul II. The Holy Father is in our thoughts and prayers and we wish him a speedy recovery and return to the service of his church and of all humanity."

The pope's sudden turn for the worse alarmed the faithful from Nigeria to the Philippines to St. Peter's Square, and raised more doubts about his ability to carry on.

"We have prayed for the pope to live as long as possible so we can still share our joy with him," said Zofia Gebala, a 73-year-old retiree, as she left a church in Wadowice, the pope's birthplace in southern Poland. "We are praying for him every day, for his well-being. But it's all in God's hands now."

John Paul, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, had greeted pilgrims twice at the window of his studio at St. Peter's Square since his release from the same hospital on Feb. 10. On Wednesday, he made his longest public appearance - 30 minutes - since he fell ill more than three weeks ago.

With each successive appearance, he seemed a little stronger, a little more alert, and his voice rang out with greater clarity.

That made Thursday's reversal all the more shocking for the faithful.

"We are so scared because he has been sick in the past," said Vanessa Animo Bono, 32, a Catholic being treated at Gemelli. "He is one of the few popes who is actually able to listen to people."

Papal officials played down the seriousness of the hospitalization, saying a patient of the pope's age is always at risk from the flu. Vatican aides said the pope had a fever and congestion in addition to the breathing problems.

ANSA reported the pope was conscious when he arrived at Gemelli and that he was sitting upright in a stretcher. According to the report, people who saw him enter the hospital said his face looked "quite relaxed."

Before the operation, the pope was well enough to joke with his medical team, Letta said. When doctors told the pope that the operation would be a small one, the pontiff retorted: "Small, it depends for whom," he said, citing doctors' accounts.

Earlier Thursday, Vatican officials had said the pope suffered from a "syndrome of influenza."

Chile's ambassador to the Holy See, Maximo Pacheco, told The Associated Press that the pope suffered a "bad relapse," citing a conversation he had with the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.

But outside experts said people don't get a relapse of influenza itself. Instead, flu can lead to a bacterial infection such as pneumonia or bronchitis, which is an inflammation of the tubes that carry air into the lungs, or to congestive heart failure, a treatable condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.

Thursday's hospitalization was the pope's eighth since his election in 1978.

The pope's common touch and his willingness to travel to remote places, despite serious health problems that include knee and hip ailments, make him much loved among Catholics.

As with the previous hospitalization, which lasted 10 days, the latest was certain to fuel speculation about whether he could continue as pope, and what would happen if he was incapacitated.

In the clearest sign that the Vatican may be taking the eventuality of papal resignation seriously, Vatican No. 2 Cardinal Angelo Sodano declined to rule out the possibility during John Paul's first hospitalization this month, saying it was up to the pope's conscience.

Thursday's news spread quickly, with the pope's illness flashed on television just as news shows were ending in the Philippines. Church officials relayed a prayer request to the faithful by text message on their cell phones.

Brigid Nolan, 73, saw the news on television in Dublin, Ireland, and walked to St. Columba's church. She lit a candle and offered a five-minute prayer for the pope and her own struggle with Parkinson's.

"I do draw inspiration from his own fight for life," she said. "He is suffering, but he's surviving, and more power to him. I get angry when people say he should quit. He should keep going for every minute God gives him."

Tourists and pilgrims in St. Peter's Square expressed alarm.

"I'm sure he wants to return to the Vatican because he has spent so much time there," said Ornella Lisandrello, 29, an Italian physician. "I'm sure he would like to die at the Vatican."

In the pope's hometown of Wadowice, worshippers offered prayers at St. Mary's church, where the young Karol Wojtyla was baptized.

"This is a very emotional moment for me," said Zdzislaw Szczur. "His suffering really moves me. It's all God's providence now."

[mlmr]

Agreed, but hardly the same as artificially being kept alive.

The machine is breathing for him and someone has to suck out his lungs...it fits my definiton of being kept artificially alive.

[Judith Anne]

Yes, and they will likely continue unless there is some indication that he will not improve enough to be weaned off the respirator.

He may improve--may have only had the problem since he couldn't cough efficiently, due to Parkinsons. In that case, he'll improve, but likely have a permanent tracheostomy, for when the problem recurs.

[mlmr]

Yes, and they will likely continue unless there is some indication that he will not improve enough to be weaned off the respirator.

He may improve--may have only had the problem since he couldn't cough efficiently, due to Parkinsons. In that case, he'll improve, but likely have a permanent tracheostomy, for when the problem recurs.


I agree.

[California Patriot]

Pope John Paul II is one of the two great men in the world today, the other being Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

One suspects that the Pope may now be close to meeting his Maker, and that a long and deep moral witness, which changed history for the better, may be drawing to a close.

Those of us who can pray, must pray for John Paul now ... and give the deepest thanks for his extraordinary life.

[andysandmikesmom]

The advice you have given about advance directives is something everyone should take note of...my parents had this done, so that should anyone challenge my rights over their care(they had told me exactly what they did and did not want done) I could produce proof of what they wanted.. having it in writing make it crystal clear to the hospitals, the doctors and the nurses...

My husband and I have advance directives drawn up, because altho I know what my husbands wishes are, and would honor his wishes, my husband has admitted that he would not be able to carry out my own wishes for myself...he says he would just find it too difficult...so we have discussed this with my younger son, and he will have power of attorney over my care, and also my advance directive...

My husband wants everything in the world done to keep him going...and I will do that for him...but I dont want anything artificial done for me...I want to be let go...and my husband has a problem with letting go...so he already knows that my medical care at the end of my life, will be taken over by my son, and by my advance directive...

[Smartaleck]

"I cannot believe that they are forcing him through this, at 84 do not recusitate is wisdom."

A lot of people will do some soul searching. Schiavo young, the Pope old, having lived a full Godly life. (Not exactly the same medical condition but it does highlight the moral dilemma.)

Would the world want to keep the Pope on force feeding etc for the next 15 yrs. ?

[andysandmikesmom]

The advice you have given about advance directives is something everyone should take note of...my parents had this done, so that should anyone challenge my rights over their care(they had told me exactly what they did and did not want done) I could produce proof of what they wanted.. having it in writing make it crystal clear to the hospitals, the doctors and the nurses...

My husband and I have advance directives drawn up, because altho I know what my husbands wishes are, and would honor his wishes, my husband has admitted that he would not be able to carry out my own wishes for myself...he says he would just find it too difficult...so we have discussed this with my younger son, and he will have power of attorney over my care, and also my advance directive...

My husband wants everything in the world done to keep him going...and I will do that for him...but I dont want anything artificial done for me...I want to be let go...and my husband has a problem with letting go...so he already knows that my medical care at the end of my life, will be taken over by my son, and by my advance directive...

[PilloryHillary]

"Well if he did, then why did he still get the flu?????"

Happens all the time. My dad got a flu shot and ended up with a different strain of flu a couple of weeks later. I pray the Pope will be ok, but this surgery is about much more than just the flu. The Pope is a very sick man.

[Judith Anne]

Very sensible of you and your parents. My husband and I have designated my sister, an attorney, to have durable power of attorney for me, and our priest, for him. That way, neither we, nor our children will have to make those decisions, and I trust my sister.

My step mother has given a copy of her advanced directive to all of us sibs, and a friend of hers, another retired nurse, has first durable power of attorney, and another the second.

It's just a good idea. It doesn't guarantee your wishes will be followed, but it makes it far more likely.

[Salvation]

From FoxNews:

Pope 'Serene' Following Tracheotomy

Thursday, February 24, 2005

PHOTOS

VIDEO

Click image to enlarge

STORIES

•

Fast Facts: Tracheotomy

•

Pope May Have Infection

•

Papal Resignations Are Rare

•

White House Wishes Pope Well

•

Pope Addresses Pilgrims on Video

•

Pope Criticized for Abortion-Holocaust Comparison

•

Pope Calls for Peace in Lebanon

•

Pope Recalls Brush With Death in New Book

•

Doc: Pope Recovered Faster Than Expected

•

Pope Leaves Hospital in Rome

•

Chronology: Pope John Paul II

•

Raw Data: Pope's Medical Problems

VATICAN CITY — Pope John Paul II () was recovering Thursday after undergoing a successful tracheotomy to assist him with breathing difficulties as he struggles with flu symptoms.

The Vatican () issued a statement saying doctors at the Gemelli Polyclinic () successfully operated on the pope after he gave his consent and that he will not spend the night in intensive care. The pope was back in his his hospital room and breathing with the help of a respirator, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The Vatican characterized the procedure as elective — underscoring that it was not done as an emergency measure.

An aide to Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said the pope was conscious and "serene" after the operation. The pope raised his hand and attempted to speak with doctors but was told not to try, Cabinet Undersecretary Gianni Letta told reporters at Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome.

The procedure, in which a hole is made in the throat and a tube is inserted, was performed to help the pontiff with his breathing. It is not seen as threatening and usually is left in for two or three days. There were conflicting reports over whether the pontiff was sedated under general or local anesthesia during the operation.

[ErnBatavia]

Please, please make sure that not only your doctor, but your home papers and auto glove compartment have copies of these...and it wouldn't hurt to shrink a copy (which is legible with a microfilm reader), laminate it and stick it in your wallet.

We've done all of the above....too many horror stories out there.

[CaptainAwesome2]

Blasphemer!

[prairiebreeze]

He's one of the best examples of His (the Lord's and his own) Culture of Life.

An excellent observation, thanks.

[VadeRetro]

Elective tracheotomy? Maintaining credibility doesn't seem to be a priority.

There's a tradition here. "His Holiness is always in excellent health until he is dead."

To be fair, the health-related press releases of every head of state everywhere are always the opposite of sensationalism. The best you can get is fairly frank. The worst are utterly false. Famous examples are the last days of Georges Pompidou (DeGaulle's successor in France) and Konstantin Chernenko, who was somewhere between Brezhnev and Gorbachev in Russia. Both of them had a similar recurring "cold."

[Salvation]

Prayer Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Prayer Ping List.

Please join me in praying for the Pope's health and full recovery.

[Jaded]

A co-worker got the flu shot a couple of years ago and ended up hospitalized because of a reaction to it. Now she has respiratory problems. She was in her mid-50's at the time.

[andysandmikesmom]

Those are excellent suggestions, those are things I would never have thought of....but of course, you are correct...

When I was caring for my mom at home, she was bedridden, in the last stages of Alzheimers...she had signed a DNR....I made sure that it was taped on her bedroom door, for all the visiting nurses and aides..and also taped on her door, for myself...because I always feared that if I found her not breathing, I would forget what she wanted and would try to do CPR, and call 911...at least with that DNR on the door, the EMTs should I call them and they arrive, they, being in a more clear thinking state of mind, ,would see the DNR, where it was taped, and would be able to snap me back into my obligations to my moms wishes...

Thankfully, it did not happen that way...when I went in to give her dinner, she had already passed on...and I had just been in her room 15 minutes beforehand, and she seemed fine...15 minutes later she was gone...when I found her, it never occurred to me to try CPR...I just saw that she was gone, and closed her eyes, and let her be at peace...

[Knitting A Conundrum]

--The machine is breathing for him and someone has to suck out his lungs...it fits my definiton of being kept artificially alive.--

My brother was like that for about two months with Gillian Barre...but he recovered. It counts...sometimes being kept going is a temporary thing to get over a critical illness that will run its course, and then you will get better. If being trached was because of the flu, or a pneumonia, this is can be a good choice. If this is because of something that is not recoverable, such as a person who has Lou Gehrig's, now that is a different question.

[Smartass]

THANKS FOR     THE PING!

The Pope will be OK after a few days rest.

 

[bd476]

God Bless and heal Pope John Paul. Dear God, please hear the prayers and please continue to hold in comfort and faith those who pray for Pope John Paul's complete and speedy recovery.