Columnist Ross Gittins recounts his 44-day ICU stay and near-death cardiac surgery experience
Consensus Summary
Ross Gittins, a columnist, recounts his harrowing near-death experience after developing a severe heart infection during a Danube cruise in October. Initially misdiagnosed with bronchitis, his condition deteriorated to the point where an infection spread from his teeth to his heart, requiring emergency surgery. Gittins underwent an 8-hour cardiac procedure involving an ECMO machine and valve replacements, with a 30 percent failure rate. His 44-day ICU stayâfar longer than the typical four daysâwas marked by five cardiac arrests, prolonged sedation, and a tracheostomy that temporarily silenced him. After discharge, he faced prolonged rehabilitation due to muscle atrophy, neuropathy, and complications from conflicting blood thinners, including aspirin. Despite his gratitude for the medical system, Gittins highlights systemic inefficiencies, such as specialist silos, bureaucratic delays, and the emotional toll of prolonged hospitalization. His account underscores both the life-saving capabilities of modern medicine and its logistical and human costs.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Ross Gittins underwent an 8-hour heart surgery called a 'commando procedure' or 'unidentified flying object' operation, involving a new plastic heart valve and reconstruction of two other valves
- The surgery required the use of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, acting as an artificial heart and lung, for several weeks post-operation
- Gittins spent 44 days in ICU after the operation, with his heart stopping five times during recovery
- The hospital where Gittins was treated is named after a long-forgotten royal whose only claim to fame was a failed assassination attempt on a visit to Australia
- Gittins developed peripheral neuropathy ('foot drop') after prolonged bed rest, requiring leg braces and a walking frame for mobility
- Gittins was hospitalized twice for internal bleeding during rehabilitation, linked to two conflicting blood thinners (one being aspirin)
- Gittinsâ total hospital and rehabilitation time exceeded five months, with significant muscle atrophy and weight loss (20 kg) during his stay
- Gittinsâ medical misadventures began on a Danube cruise in October, with symptoms starting in Budapest and worsening by Vienna
- The ECMO machine costs up to $300,000 each, and Gittins notes the high cost of medical interventions is largely fixed per service provided
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Gittins mentions a 'Webster-pak' (a pill organizer) as a new dependency after his hospital stay
- Gittins references hallucinations where he watched three documentaries about the hospital featuring himself as the 'starring role'
- Gittins notes that maintenance workers examined his broken venetian blind but never fixed it
- Gittins describes watching repeated ABC programs (including Nigellaâs Variety Concert) during his hospital stay, finding them uninspiring
- Gittins explicitly states he had private insurance that secured him a private room with a TV
- Gittins mentions the hospitalâs 'deadly fungal outbreak' as a historical concern (implied to be unrelated to his case)
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- No contradictions found between the two sources, as both articles are identical in content
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....