Sunday night an emergency surgery was performed that lasted an hour to reconnect the artery at Buffalo General Hospital. Zednik is in stable condition in the intensive care unit.
The largest fear when the carotid artery has to be clamped is brain damage. Zednik appears to have escaped that fate.
During the period period Zednik was sliced across the right side of his throat by Olli Jokinen’s skate. According to doctors the jugular vein was nearly sliced.
The artery was “hanging by a thread” according to surgeon Sonya Noor. Had the artery been completely severed it would have receded into the neck making the surgery much more complicated.
The carotid artery supplies blood to the brain. Blood pressure in the artery is higher because of this task.
Zednik had to be “tubed” because of swelling around the cut. He also had a very low blood pressure prior to surgery.
Robert McCormack, the hospital’s clinical chief of emergency medicine, said: “We became concerned. He was clearly in shock from blood loss. His heart rate was high his blood pressure was a bit low.”
Zednik will be out of the game for six to eight weeks as he recovers.
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