SIR ALEX FERGUSON has been sitting up and talking to his family after waking up from the coma he has been in since the weekend following...
SIR ALEX FERGUSON has been sitting up and talking to his family after waking up from the coma he has been in since the weekend following surgery for a brain haemorrhage.
Ferguson remains in intensive care but has responded well to treatment and has been showing positive signs of recovery.
The Manchester United legend was rushed to hospital after collapsing at his Cheshire home and underwent emergency surgery on Saturday.
He is being treated at Salford Royal after initially going to Macclesfield District General.
According to the Daily Mail surgery went ‘very well’ and those close to him are cautiously optimistic about his recovery.
However the recovery for such a procedure is a slow process and one Neurosurgeon has claimed the the fist few days are all about life support.
Neurosurgeon Peter Hamlyn wrote in the Telegraph: “The most common form (of haemorrhage) for a man of his age with a history of cardiovascular issues... is intracerebral, in which there is bleeding within the brain tissue, causing irreparable damage to those cells.
“In Sir Alex's case, his surgeons have decided to operate almost certainly because they felt the size of the blood clot was causing damage to the remaining brain tissue. This is often life-saving surgery and aims to reduce any long-term disability Sir Alex might suffer with this form of stroke.
“For the first few days after the operation, the focus is on the patient's life support. A prognosis is very hard to give in the first days and often for some weeks.
“If they survive without signs of improvement after several months, then it is unlikely that an individual will return to their former health. However, in the immediate aftermath there is everything to fight for and the potential for a full recovery, albeit sometimes after a long period of rehabilitation.”
The news of Ferguson’s haemorrhage has rocked football with an outpouring of emotion from those who knew and worked with him.
Ferguson won 38 trophies at Old Trafford in 27 years and goes down as one of the greatest managers in history.
Manchester United defender Phil Jones, who was signed from Blackburn under Ferguson, described him a father figure.
“I am devastated,” Jones said. “He is such a legend in my eyes. He is the one gave me that opportunity to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world. He's taken me under his wing like a father.
“It was shocking but I know his character. I know he has that fight in him. Hopefully he'll recover well. He has got all his family and friends around him, the support from all the players and staff at United and football around the world. We are all rooting for him. I'm sure he will be fine.”
Club captain Michael Carrick said: “I was devastated. I got a text on Saturday evening and it didn't really sink in. I spoke to a few people at the club to get a rundown on how he was doing.
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