Greek doctor among medical personnel saving lives of Boston victims

It must have been a hell on Monday in Boston. Μore than 170 injured people had been treated in hospitals of the area, with many of the injured to have suffered devastating trauma and even have lost limbs. Despite the devastating injuries, the loss of lives was kept down and thus due to the extraordinary efforts of the medical personnel, the prompt response of paramedics that had rushed to the spots of the explosions and transferred the injured to the hospitals.

During the press conferences given today by the doctors,  we saw a Greek name: Dr. George Velmahos, chief trauma surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. George Velmahos,  said Tuesday morning that four patients there have undergone amputations and two more limbs are in jeopardy. Of the 21 still in the hospital, eight remain in critical condition, Dr. Velmahos said. Some remain sedated and face multiple serious surgeries, but he was optimistic all would live, as vital signs had stabilized and bleeding was controlled.

Some of the patients at Mass General had “10, 20, 30, 40” pieces of shrapnel in their bodies, and others faced injuries from the bomb’s shock effect, he said. Dr. Velmahos described some shrapnel as pellet-like and some more nail-like and said all relevant materials had been turned over to investigators.

Dr. Velmahos said conversations with patients—or their families—were “devastating,” but that many of the decisions involved immediate and life-saving operations, he said.

The patients ages range from 28 to 71, he said, and none were runners. Dr. Velmahos described the ones who weren’t sedated as calm, agreeable to treatment decisions and responsive to questions, and he expressed hoped some of the patients could be released in a few days. He called the hospital’s response “one of the proudest moments of my life.”

The physical damage was wreaking an emotional toll on friends and families of survivors, who were learning that some of their loved ones had suffered severe injuries. (full story WSJ)

Dr George Velmahos was born in Greece. He studied Medicine in the University of Athens where he also acquired a PhD. In 1996 started his professional US-career as Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Southern California.

Well done! and thanks to KTG-reader Homie for bringing this to our attention.