Sauber Junior Team by Charouz’s Juan Manuel Correa has made good progress on his lungs as he now awaits a complex surgery on his lower half.
From the last update where he made progress on his lungs side, Correa is now said to be fully awake and has been shifted to a different hospital in London, which specialises in orthopedic surgeries.
With the recovery on his lungs side going well, doctors will now focus on the lower half of his body, where the injury is severe and the doctors even presented the option of ‘right foot reconstructive amputation’.
Correa has chosen not to go for that, which leaves the doctors to go ahead with the complex 10+ hours surgery process, where they will remove what is damaged and keep what can be healed.
The full statement from Correa’s family read as:
“Earlier this week, Juan Manuel was transferred to a new hospital in London, England that specializes in orthopedic surgeries as the focus shifts from his lungs to his lower body extremities. Juan Manuel is now fully conscious, and his lungs have recovered much faster than anticipated.
“His overall physical improvement and willpower has doctors impressed. The main objective this week has been to get Juan Manuel in the best condition possible for his surgery on Sunday that will be 10+ hours in duration.
“Sunday’s surgery will be crucial in determining Juan Manuel’s future. Doctors will have, for the first time since the accident, complete access to the wounds on his lower right leg. They will be able to determine the actual level of damage to his tibia, ankle, and foot.
“During surgery, they will save what can be saved and removed what needs to be removed in order to rebuild his right lower leg to the best possible condition. The surgeons are the top in their field and are cautiously optimistic given the fast-paced recovery that Juan Manuel has had in the previous week.
“The injuries that Juan Manuel sustained are severe, and the surgery procedure is very complex. Doctors gave Juan Manuel the option of right foot reconstructive amputation.
“He has chosen NOT to have the amputation and to proceed with the surgery, understanding all the challenges involved. Additional details will be provided on Juan Manuel’s condition when available.”
