AFP, Japan :
Jules Bianchi is suffering from a serious brain injury sustained in his sickening crash at the Japanese Grand Prix, his family says, as specialists warn the chances of recovery from this kind of condition are slim.
The Formula One driver was Wednesday starting his third day in intensive care after the weekend smash, with his worried parents regularly by his bedside.
“Jules remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi. He has suffered a diffuse axonal injury and is in a critical but stable condition,” said a statement issued by the family and the hospital.
“The medical professionals at the hospital are providing the very best treatment and care and we are grateful for everything they have done for Jules since his accident.”
The 25-year-old Bianchi was knocked unconscious in a horrific high-speed crash into a recovery vehicle during Sunday’s rain-sodden Japanese Grand Prix.
He underwent emergency brain surgery, with doctors saying he was critically ill.
A diffuse axonal injury describes trauma that is spread across the brain, rather than in one place, and is caused by the shockwave from the sudden impact of the crash travelling through the brain. This causes bruising and kills cells. The body’s response to the injury-swelling-exacerbates the problem because it restricts blood flow to the brain, causing more damage.
Experts say recovery rates from this kind of injury, which is frequently caused by vehicle crashes, are not encouraging.
Ichiro Miyao, who heads a support group in Japan for victims of traffic accidents, said those that do recover frequently suffer permanent impairment.
He explained that because the neural networks are disrupted, “it can have severe after-effects”, including spatial awareness or memory problems.
Bianchi’s parents Philippe and Christine, who flew to Japan after the race, spent some of Wednesday morning with their son.
Doctors at the hospital have waived normal restrictions on visiting hours, to allow them to see him at any time, a hospital source told AFP.
