Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham underwent emergency surgery on Monday after the discovery of a blood clot on the surface of the brain.
The elder statesman and former party leader of the Free National Movement was expected to be released from Doctor’s Hospital on Wednesday and is said to be in good spirits, according to neurosurgeon Dr Magnus Ekedede.
He is expected to recover in two weeks.
Ingraham had initially complained of headaches one week before the FNM party’s convention which was held June 1′ and experienced some mobility impairment. He was later found to have Subacute Chronic Subdural Hematoma (SCSH) which required a two-hour surgery.
What is Subacute Chronic Subdural Hematoma?
Subdural hematomas are a type of bleeding inside the head. The pooling of blood causes pressure on the brain. The blood collects under the dura mater, under one of the layers of tissue that protect your brain.
These bleeds can be caused by a head injury. It can be classified as subacute, acute or chronic.
- A subacute subdural hematoma can occur with a concussion and symptoms usually occur within hours to days or even weeks after the head injury.
- An acute subdural hematoma is the most dangerous type of subdural hematoma. The symptoms are severe and appear right after a head injury, often within minutes to hours.
- Chronic subdural hematoma is more common in people older than 65. Bleeding occurs slowly and symptoms may not appear for weeks or months. Even minor head injuries can cause chronic subdural hematomas. You may not even recall how your head injury happened due to the delay in developing symptoms.
Who can get Subacute Chronic Subdural Hematoma?
Anyone can get a subdural hematoma, but certain factors like age can increase your risk. People 65 years and older, and babies are more at risk for getting subdural hematomas.
Age shrinks the brain inside the skull. The space between your skull and brain widens. This makes the tiny veins in the membranes between your skull and brain stretch. These thinned, stretched veins are more likely to tear, even if you experience a minor head injury.
Other causes of subdural hematoma include playing high-impact, contact sports; blood thinners which slow down the process of clotting; Hemophilia which is an inherited bleeding disorder that prevents your blood from clotting; or alcohol use disorder which results in a damaged liver resulting in the inability to produce enough proteins to help the blood to clot.
What are the symptoms of Subacute Chronic Subdural Hematoma?
Symptoms like vomiting and intense headaches can happen over days or even weeks after an injury.
Other symptoms include: a nagging headache, nausea and vomiting, slurred speech (dysarthria), changes in your vision, dizziness, balance issues or difficulty walking, weakness on one side of your body, memory loss, and disorientation.