Marc Coma was given permission to go home at midday today, after being admitted to the USP Institut Universitari Dexeus hospital last Sunday night after arriving from Sardinia. The Repsol rider was operated on last Tuesday and spoke to the media at the press conference given just before leaving the hospital in Barcelona at 12’30 today.
Coma spoke together with Doctor Xavier Mir, Head of the Hand Surgery and Microsurgery Unit at the USP Institut Universitari Dexeus, who explained the extent of his injuries and the details of the operation. After him the Repsol rider explained his personal account of the fall and his current state of mind.
Neither of them ventured a date for a return riding, although next week the Repsol rider will return to the same hospital for more treatment. Coma was optimistic because in spite of all that has happened the injury has come at a good time as there is a break in the racing calendar, giving him time to get into tip-top form for the forthcoming Dakar race.
Marc Coma >> Audio
“I feel fine. First of all I want to thank the whole team that has been attending to my needs ever since I had the accident, both here and the race organisers as well as the doctors at the USP Institut Universitari Dexeus, especially Doctor Xavier Mir, who has been like a private guardian angel. I now have to think about my recovery and look to the future. We know that falls are a part of our job, a risk that we accept and what we have to do is to recover and get back on the bike as quickly as we possibly can. It is really unlucky to have an injury like this but fortunately it has come at a time that does not affect our schedule and planning too much. We will miss the Baja Aragón, and other races that are not so important, but the objective will be to be back in tip-top form in September, as this is when we have the final two rounds of the World Championship as we use them to get into shape for the Dakar.”
Dr. Xavier Mir >> Audio
“The operation went according to plan and the evolution in the last 48 hours has been very good. The most complicated fracture is the one on the collar bone because it is a flat bone and these need more time to heal. The fragments were joined using an S type titanium plate that simulates the same shape as the bone, this facilitates recovery. He had another operation on the left wrist at the same time, and here he also has another titanium plate, in this case triangular, simulating the shape of the bone. In both cases the titanium plates are low-contact and boost the regeneration of the bone and allow movement to be made. He does not need any pain killers at the moment, the swelling has gone down and the arm movement is good, so he can go home, which is what he wants. Next week we will have a check to see how things are going and we will see in a few days if the wrist recovery programme can get under way. Luckily now the calendar will let him have a smooth recovery, without any hurry or specific limits, because the important thing is for all the fractures to fuse as they should so that they do not produce any problems in the future.”
