CNN
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Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin released from club Buffalo Medical Center said Wednesday, after more than a week in the hospital due to a cardiac arrest he suffered during a “Monday Night Football” game this month.
The 24-year-old Bills safety had shown signs of accelerated improvement in the days before his release from Buffalo General Medical Center in New York, hospital officials said.
“We have completed a series of tests and evaluations and, in consultation with team doctors, we are confident that Damar can safely be released to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills,” the doctor said. responsible for Hamlin’s care in Buffalo, Dr. Jamie Nadler, the Bills said in a statement posted Wednesday on Twitter.
Hamlin was initially hospitalized in Cincinnati when his heart suddenly stopped after a tackle during a game against the host Cincinnati Bengals on January 2, but was transferred to the Buffalo facility on Monday after doctors determined that his critical condition had improved enough for the move.
Doctors at the Buffalo hospital were trying to determine why Hamlin suffered the cardiac arrest, Kaleida Health, the hospital group that includes Buffalo Medical Center, said before his release. This included whether pre-existing conditions played a role in the event, which shocked many people across the country and sparked a huge outpouring of support for the second-year NFL player.
On Tuesday, Hamlin underwent “a complete medical evaluation as well as a series of cardiac, neurological and vascular tests,” the Bills said on Twitter.
No cause for Hamlin’s cardiac arrest has been publicly announced.
“Special thanks to Buffalo General, it’s been nothing but love since he arrived!” Please keep me in your prayers! Hamlin tweeted Tuesday.
It will be up to Hamlin to decide when he is back with the team while he recovers, Bills coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday.
“I’m grateful most of all that he’s home with his parents and his brother, which is great,” McDermott told reporters Wednesday, as the Bills prepared to host the Miami Dolphins for a playoff game on Sunday. . No timetable for Hamlin’s return to professional football has been announced.
“We will leave it (when he is in the team) to take care of him. His health is our priority as far as his situation is concerned and when he feels ready we will welcome him back,” McDermott said.
While in critical condition in Cincinnati, Hamlin was sedated and on a ventilator for days. Friday morning, the breathing tube was removed and Hamlin began walking with assistance in the afternoon, his doctors said Monday.
The care team focused on stabilizing Hamlin and improved his condition Monday because his organ systems were stable and he no longer needed intensive nursing care or respiratory therapy, doctors said.
“He’s certainly on what we consider to be a very normal, if not accelerated, trajectory after the life-threatening event that he suffered,” said Dr. Timothy Pritts, chief of surgery at University Medical Center. from Cincinnati earlier this week. “He’s making great progress.”
Normal recovery from cardiac arrest can be measured in weeks or even months, Pritts said Monday. Hamlin has exceeded this time limit at every stage and is neurologically intact.
When Hamlin collapsed seconds after an open field tackle on a Bengals receiver, medical personnel rushed to the field and quickly administered CPR, which helped save his life.
Hamlin’s heart had stopped and medical responders revived him twice before putting him in an ambulance and taking him to the hospital. The immediate actions of medical staff were vital in “not only saving his life, but also his neurological function,” Pritts said.
The horrific scene of Hamlin suddenly falling onto his back after getting up following the tackle unsettled his teammates, other players and millions of fans watching.
The game was initially postponed and then canceled by the NFL — a decision that several former football players said was a sign of a shift in prioritizing players’ mental and physical health.
Today, the Bills organization encourages people to learn the essential and life-saving skill of administering CPR.
The team is committed to supporting resources such as CPR certifications, automated external defibrillators and guidance for developing cardiac emergency response plans within the Buffalo community, according to the communicated. “We encourage all of our fans to continue to show their support and take the next step in obtaining CPR certification,” the Bills said.
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