Sharon's condition 'improving'

2006-01-11 09:58

Tel Aviv - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is showing signs of improvement, but it may take months before doctors can determine the damage caused to his brain.

"We are still very far from the ability to say what is the extent of the damage caused, and estimate his ability to return to full functioning," Sharon's neurosurgeon Professor Felix Umansky told the Yediot Ahronot daily.

"It can take weeks and also even months," he said.

Although Sharon was not completely out of danger, his condition was slowly improving from day to day, he said.

The 77-year-old premier was not yet responding to verbal stimuli, commands or his name, but he responded to pain with a "clear and significant movement" of his right hand.

'A positive sign'

The fact that Sharon had moved his left hand was also an important sign, because if it improved, it could mean that he would suffer from weakness but not paralysis of his left side.

"We don't know what damage has been caused to the right lobe (of Sharon's brain), whether it has been erased slightly or not. We removed part of his skull during the first surgery and we enlarged the opening during the second," said the 62-year-old brain surgeon.

He added that he asked Sharon's son, Gilad, on Tuesday morning to talk to his father and when he did, measured a clear rise in the premier's blood pressure.

"I cannot begin to tell you how important that is. It must be repeated and checked again, but from my point of view it's a positive sign."

Sharon meanwhile was said to have spent a quiet night. Doctors may decide to put him off anaesthetics completely on Wednesday, but it would take another 36 hours before their influence would ware off, Israel Radio reported.

Since Monday, doctors have gradually reduced the drugs that have kept the premier in a deep sleep since he suffered the haemorrhagic stroke Wednesday night last week. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA