Keith Richards was recognized as a true rock ‘n’ roll legend after being inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Richards has been a member of the Rolling Stones for over 60 years and has had a long and profitable career. A blood clot on the brain resulted from a dangerous occurrence in 2006 while Richards was on tour with the Stones.
At the time, the event in Fiji made headlines, and a band official stated that the performer, who was 62 at the time, was recovering in a New Zealand hospital after a successful operation.
According to initial accounts, Richards suffered a moderate concussion after falling 16 feet from a coconut tree. Still, additional medical investigations revealed that the actor’s health was far worse. According to testing at Auckland’s Ascot Hospital, the guitarist suffered a subdural hematoma.
In addition to the one in Fiji, the musician has been involved in several other accidents throughout his career. In 1998, Richards fell from a ladder in his home library, breaking three ribs and puncturing a lung.
In 1990, the star also got ill after puncturing a finger on a guitar string. The band was forced to cancel gigs in each of these instances while the famed guitarist recovered.
Despite previous illnesses and injuries, the now-78-year-old actor’s blood clot in the early 2000s was possibly the worst thing he had ever suffered.
According to Rolling Stone, Richards felt fine immediately after his fall and didn’t endure any substantial discomfort until a few days later.
He had a “blinding headache” while on a boat ride, and two sleep-related seizures later that night caused his wife Patti to call for assistance.
After a terrifying four-hour flight from Fiji to New Zealand, neurosurgeon Doctor Andrew Law immediately recognized the celebrity. He operated on the hematoma to stop the bleeding.
According to a band spokeswoman, Keith was being monitored in Auckland following a fall in Fiji and was doing good after seeing a doctor last week.
However, after patients complained of headaches, doctors felt it prudent to do a little operation to relieve the tension. Keith is now awake and communicating with his family, indicating successful treatment.
“I woke up feeling amazing,” Richards reportedly claimed after his emergency operation. So, when are you going to start? I inquired. It’s all finished, guy, said Law.
According to the NHS, a subdural hematoma is a “serious condition” in which blood collects between the skull and the brain’s surface.
It is common for symptoms to arise days or even weeks after a moderate head injury, such as Richards’, because a brain injury usually causes them.
The most common symptoms of a subdural hematoma are as follows:
A persistent headache being ill, and feeling sick
Confusion
Personality changes, such as being more aggressive or experiencing Rapid mood swings
Sleepiness consciousness loss
Following a head injury, blood seeps from a blood vessel, causing a blood clot to develop (hematoma). The brain is then put under stress, which causes it to deteriorate.
The NHS warns that due to the severity of the condition, there is a “high risk of death,”, particularly in elderly people and those who have had a significant fall.
Acute subdural hemorrhages are the most deadly because they frequently result in catastrophic brain injury.
Richards only suffered a minor fall, but the NHS claims that his age and history of alcohol misuse made him more vulnerable to a subdural hemorrhage. This is thought to happen because as people get older, their brains shrink slightly, putting extra strain on the blood arteries in the brain.
Long-term excessive alcohol intake can also cause the brain to shrink, leaving blood vessels in the brain more vulnerable to harm.
Subdural hemorrhages must be treated as soon as possible, and two surgical methods are commonly used:
During a craniotomy, a part of the skull is temporarily removed so the surgeon can access and remove the bleeding.
Burr holes: A small hole is drilled into the skull, and a tube is inserted to help drain the hematoma.
Burr holes are the primary treatment for hematomas that occur a few days or weeks following a mild head injury. Depending on the severity of the bleeding, the tube may be left in place for a few days to reduce the likelihood of the hematoma recurring.
According to the NHS, surgery to remove a subdural hemorrhage has a risk of complications. Although the bulk of these problems is uncommon, they can be quite dangerous. Problems that may arise following surgery for a subdural hematoma include:
There is more brain bleeding, an infection of the incision or flap of the skull, and an in-vein blood clot in the leg (deep vein thrombosis)
Fits a seizure (seizure) attack.
