Page 8/The Battalion/Tuesday, September 20, 1988 Doctors ‘kill’ patients to save lives PITTSBURGH (AP) — To save Ethel St. Lawrence from the an eurysm pressing on her brain, doc tors “killed” her for 40 minutes. They put her in a coma, stopped her heart, chilled her by 40 degrees and drained her body of blood. St. Lawrence was back at work 10 weeks after what she calls “a cotton- pickin’ miracle,” a sort of suspended animation that lets surgeons cure hard-to-reach, high-risk aneurysms that once were considered inoper able. “It is everything that technology can possibly offer,” said her neuro surgeon, Dr. Robert Spetzler at Bar- row Neurological Institute in Phoe nix. “It may be the surgery of the fu ture in cases where bleeding poses the greatest risk to the operation,” Dr. Julian E. Bailes, a neurosurgeon at Allegheny General Hospital here who studied with Spetzler, said. “That’s the biggest cause of death in surgery. If you could put someone in a state of suspended animation, you could operate in a totally blood less field.” In a severely cold, bloodless state, the brain can be deprived of oxygen up to 55 minutes, giving surgeons time to remove the aneurysm — a bubble caused by weakness in the wall of a blood vessel — and clip ar teries feeding it without the danger of massive bleeding and certain death. . Of 15 patients who have under gone the procedure at Barrow, only one has died, Bailes said. Most had “excellent” results, a few reported some weakness but otherwise did well, and most remained in a coma no more than five days. “It’s getting through the surgery,” said Dr. Steven Shedd, a Barrow neuroanesthesiologist who was in volved in St. Lawrence’s operation. “If you’ve tolerated the procedure and you wake up, you’re going to be OK.” But the risks, including that the heart won’t restart, are too great to use the procedure where normal an esthesia can adequately do the job. And because the patient has to be taken to the point of clinical death for the operation to succeed, doctors approach it with “a lot of respect,” said Shedd. “Every time I do one of these I get very nervous. “You’re taking a patient that’s al ive and breathing and stopping their hearts and putting them into this state. “They are nothing. There is no breathing, no heart function. The brain function is nil. We tilt the table up and drain all the blood into the pump.” St. Lawrence, a 61-year-old Phoe nix secretary, was rushed to Barrow on June 2, suffering from a severe two-day headache and unable to open her right eye. Tests showed that a sinus aneurysm detected four years ago had grown. Partly because of heavy doses of barbiturates given before surgery to help prevent stroke or brain dam age, St. Lawrence recalls nothing about the June 6 operation. But she does recall experiencing a very strong sensation. “I just had this immense feeling that I was being cared for. It felt like somebody was just holding me in their arms and taking care of me and that I would be OK. It wasjust a feel ing of peace.” Four months after surgery, she needs no medication and the severe headaches are gone, though she still is unable to fully open her eye. Bailes is confounded, though, by Cecilia Duffy, a 76-year-old Pitts burgh woman who spent 51 minutes in suspended animation Aug. 31 while surgeons removed an egg- sized aneurysm that had almost com pletely disabled her. Duffy hasn’t come out of the drug-induced coma, even though her brain activity is improving, there is no evidence of brain injury, and she moves her legs when stimulated. “Quite frankly, I’m worried about her because 1 would have thought she would have come out of it by now,” Bailes said. “As we go longer it’s more likely she will have suffered some stroke, some sort of (brain) injury.” Newspaper agrees to charges of misquoting AUSTIN (AP) — A newspaper agreed Monday with Texas Railroad Commission member Jim Nugent that a recent article quoted him in correctly concerning his fund-rais ing methods. The story in Sunday’s editions of the San Antonio Express-News was the basis for a charge Monday by Ed Emmett, the Republican candidate for Nugent’s seat, that Nugent’s pur ported solicitation of contributions from those who appear before the commission is “unethical” and “amounts to extortion.” The article said Nugent, during a meeting with the Express-News edi torial board, commented: “We get a list of those who come before the commission and we send them let ters asking them to help out with the campaign.” In response to Emmett’s charges, Nugent denied saying that. His actual comment, the Demo cratic incumbent told the Associated Press, was that his staff purchased copies of a list from the secretary of state’s office of people who had con tributed to Railroad Commission campaigns in the past. His staff then sent off letters to those individuals, he said. In a statement Monday night, Ex press-News assistant managing edi tor Jay Rogers confirmed Nugent’s account. “Nugent’s comment was that he got a list of people who had contrib uted to previous Railroad Commis sion candidates and solicited cam paign contributions from them. He pointed out there was nothing illegal about that practice,” Rogers said. “It is unfortunate he did not bring the matter to our attention," Rogers said. “It is our policy to run correc tions if we had erroneous statements in our paper.” Emmett, a former state represen tative from Harris County, called a news conference Monday to cite the article. Piano concert dazzles crowil of 200 at A&l By Andrea L. Warrenbui; Reporter Werner Rose, pianist and caA nator of music in the DepartitifjE Philosophy and Humanities,opJ the University Chamber Serieij son last night with his debutptl mance in Rudder Theater l] crowd of more than 200. T he crowd was dazzled pieces by Domenico Scarlatti, L Bartok, Franz Liszt andJnliJ| B rahms. Sonata in F Minor fromOpuslp Johannes Brahms was called a cial piece” by Rose. Brahmswi from inspiration of romantict Rose said. Sitting tall at thcl board, he brought its variationij with powerful precision and tion. Rose also played an exciting J by composer and Texas A&Mt taut coordinator of music, Dr. Lieu wen. “Sonatina” composfllj 1981 was a fast, dynamic piece complimented Rose’s quietness Lieu wen’s talent. The crowd's proval brought Lieuwen on statt| ter Rose finished the piece. Rose came to A&M in JuiK§f| spearhead the developmentofii in the College of Liberal Artsi 22-year tenure at the Universiitj Wyoming. Lieuwen arrived shortly from the University of Califoi Santa Barbara. • We Deliver • 846-5273 CO 5 i fiOM Steakhouse VS : 108 College Main Announces A Dinner Special! 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