Following his induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, Keith Richards was recognized as a genuine rock ‘n’ roll legend. Richards has had a long and fruitful career as a Rolling Stones member, lasting more than 60 years. In a risky incident that occurred in 2006 when Richards was on tour with the Stones, a blood clot on the brain was the result.
The event in Fiji made headlines at the time, and a band representative revealed that the performer, who was 62 at the time, was in a New Zealand hospital following a successful operation. Initial reports claimed that Richards had had a moderate concussion after falling 16 feet from a coconut tree, but subsequent medical examinations showed that the actor’s health was in a more serious state. The guitarist had a subdural hematoma, according to tests performed at the Ascot Hospital in Auckland.
The musician has participated in several accidents throughout his career in addition to the one in Fiji. Richards fell from a ladder in his home library in 1998, suffering three broken ribs and a punctured lung.
The celebrity also sustained an infection in 1990 after puncturing a finger on a guitar string. In each of these cases, the band was compelled to postpone performances while the legendary guitarist healed.
Despite prior illnesses and injuries, the now-78-year-old star’s blood clot on the brain in the early 2000s was possibly the worst thing he had ever experienced.
According to Rolling Stone, Richards felt great right away and didn’t experience any significant pain until a few days following his fall.
He reportedly experienced a “blinding headache” while on a boat ride, and two sleep-related seizures later that night prompted his wife Patti to phone for help.
Doctor Andrew Law, a neurosurgeon, saw the celebrity right away after a frightening four-hour journey from Fiji to New Zealand. He performed surgery on the hematoma to halt the bleeding.
Keith was being watched in Auckland following a fall in Fiji, and he was feeling fine after seeing a doctor last week, according to a band spokesperson at the time.
But after patients complained of headaches, doctors decided it would be wise to proceed with a little procedure to relieve the strain. The procedure was a complete success because Keith is now awake and talking to his family.
Following his urgent procedure, Richards reportedly said: “I woke up feeling terrific. Well, when are you going to start, I asked. It’s all done, dude, Law said.
Blood gathers between the skull and the surface of the brain in a “serious disease” known as a subdural hematoma, according to the NHS.
It is typical for symptoms to appear days or even weeks after a mild head injury, like the one Richards had, as they are usually brought on by a brain injury.
The following are the most typical signs of a subdural hematoma:
a headache that won’t go away
being unwell and feeling sick
Confusion
Changes in personality, such as becoming particularly aggressive or experiencing sudden mood swings
feeling sleepy
consciousness loss
Blood leaks from a blood artery after a head injury, which causes a blood clot to form (hematoma). The brain is then put under pressure, which harms it.
The NHS warns that due to the condition’s severity, it carries a “high risk of death,”, especially in older individuals and those who have experienced a large fall.
The most dangerous sort of subdural hemorrhages is those that are acute because they frequently cause catastrophic brain injury.
Richards merely had a slight fall, but the NHS claims that because of his age and history of alcohol abuse, he was more prone to have a subdural hemorrhage. This is assumed to occur because as people age, their brains tend to shrink somewhat, putting more strain on the blood arteries in the brain.
Long-term excessive alcohol consumption can also gradually shrink the brain, making the blood vessels in the brain more susceptible to injury.
Subdural hemorrhages need to be operated on right away, and two surgical approaches are frequently used:
A portion of the skull is temporarily removed during a craniotomy so that the surgeon may access and remove the hemorrhage.
Burr holes: To help drain the hematoma, a small hole is drilled into the cranium and a tube is put through it.
The primary treatment for hematomas that appear a few days or weeks after a minor head injury is burr holes. To lessen the likelihood of the hematoma reoccurring, the tube may be left in place for a few days depending on the severity of the bleed.
Surgery to remove a subdural hemorrhage entails a risk of consequences, according to the NHS. Although the majority of these issues are uncommon, they can be very serious. Following surgery for a subdural hematoma, problems can include:
there is additional brain bleeding
infection of the incision or the flap of the skull
an in-vein blood clot in the leg (deep vein thrombosis)
Fits (seizures) (seizures)
an attack.
