Columnist Ross Gittins recounts his 44-day ICU stay after a near-fatal heart infection requiring complex surgery
Consensus Summary
Ross Gittins’ near-death experience began during a Danube cruise when an undiagnosed dental infection spread to his heart, requiring emergency surgery in Australia. After an eight-hour 'commando procedure' involving an ECMO machine and valve replacements, he spent 44 days in ICU—far longer than usual—due to repeated heart stops and complications. His recovery was prolonged by peripheral neuropathy, muscle atrophy, and internal bleeding from conflicting blood thinners, forcing three failed rehabilitation attempts. Gittins highlights both the skill of his medical team and systemic issues, such as bureaucratic pressure to discharge patients and fragmented specialist care. Though grateful for his survival, he notes lasting physical limitations, including the need for leg braces and a walking frame, and critiques hospital inefficiencies like broken maintenance and excessive single-use medical waste. The article blends personal reflection with observations on healthcare costs, specialization gaps, and the emotional toll of prolonged hospitalization.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Ross Gittins spent 44 days in ICU after a heart operation, far exceeding the typical 4-day stay
- Gittins developed an infection from his teeth that spread to his heart, requiring emergency surgery
- The surgery involved an ECMO machine (artificial heart/lungs) and a 'commando procedure' lasting eight hours
- Gittins had a tracheostomy during treatment, which temporarily removed his ability to speak
- Gittins required three rehabilitation attempts due to internal bleeding caused by conflicting blood thinners (including aspirin)
- Gittins lost 20 kilograms, muscle mass, and developed peripheral neuropathy ('foot drop') requiring leg braces
- Gittins was hospitalized on a Danube cruise ship in Budapest before returning to Australia
- The surgeon estimated the operation had a 30 percent failure rate
- Gittins was a member of the doctors’ union, which influenced his initial GP referral strategy
- Gittins’ hospital stay began at a major teaching hospital named after a long-forgotten royal (failed assassination attempt claim)
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Gittins mentions a 'Webster-pak' (medication organizer) he now uses, noting he was on double his usual diabetic pills
- Gittins humorously refers to the hospital’s 'property of the health department' ECMO machines costing up to $300,000 each
- Gittins describes hallucinating three documentaries about his own hospital stay while unconscious
- Gittins notes the hospital’s venetian blind was broken and maintenance staff examined it without fixing it
- Gittins highlights the hospital’s shift from sterilized instruments to single-use plastic disposables (tweezers, syringes, etc.)
- Gittins explicitly states he was 'the property of the health department' and doctors controlled his discharge
- Gittins mentions his private insurance provided a private room with a TV (ABC) and broken window
- Gittins details nurses repeatedly asking for permission ('Would you mind if I took your temperature?') and apologizing ('Sorry, Ross')
- Gittins describes nurses following strict protocols for verifying patient identity (full name + date of birth) before administering meds
- Gittins notes the hospital’s pressure to discharge patients quickly due to 'bean-counters' pressuring doctors
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- No contradictions found between the two sources as they are identical articles
Source Articles
Ross Gittins spent 44 days in ICU and almost died. This is his story
Our economics editor is on the mend. Here he recounts his medical misadventure that began on the other side of the world....
Ross Gittins spent 44 days in ICU and almost died. This is his story
Our economics editor is on the mend. Here he recounts his medical misadventure that began on the other side of the world....