Sharon's surgeon: Too early to assess damage

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s chief surgeon said tonight that it was too early to assess the extent of brain damage the prime minister may have suffered after a massive stroke and two separate operations.

Dr Felix Umansky operated on Sharon for nearly five hours today, after a brain scan detected an increase in cranial pressure and renewed bleeding.

“He underwent the operation very well, the CT scan was very good and he is now stable, in intensive care,” Umansky said.

Asked about possible damage, he said: “There is always some damage when you have cerebral haemorrhage.”

“We cannot assess the damage because he (Sharon) is under anaesthesia all the time. We need to wait and see what will happen once we reduce the medication which keeps him under sedation.”

Umansky said it was too early to tell whether Sharon was partially paralysed.

“We cannot assess his neurological situation,” he said.