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BALLOON TRAGEDY RECALLED AS VICTIMS RECOVER; GERMAN SPECIALIST PRAISES WORK OF LOCAL PHYSICIANS
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow
23.05.12
A German plastic surgeon visiting Armenia has operated on eight
victims of the May 4 accident with balloons which ignited during the
Republican's campaign concert and left more than a hundred and fifty
people injured, a few dozens suffered deep burns.
Adrian Daigler, professor at German Heidelberg's University Clinic's
Center of Plastic and Reconstructive and Burn Surgery, has expressed
his high opinion of the surgeries that local experts have performed
and said that: "If there is a need for assistance and treatment in
Germany, we are ready and I am at your service, however, there are
really competent specialists here".
Norayr Davidyan, heading the Research Center of Radiation Medicine
and Burns (the Center), says they have jointly performed surgeries
together with Deigler.
"Of course, the professor's assistance is invaluable, it also gave
a chance to familiarize with his work," says Davidyan.
Plastic surgeries were performed on the hands, fingers and wrists of
the patients.
Eighteen-year-old Hayk Aghabekyan, student of Yerevan State Economic
University, is recovering from a surgery at the Center's Rehabilitation
department. The German professor has operated on his hands - from
fingers to wrists - replacing the damaged tissues with the skin taken
from his thighs.
"There was this huge fire globe in the air and we were running through
it. Panic-stricken I was running right towards the fire, and so got
burned really badly," recalls Hayk.
Hayk's hands underwent the first surgery on May 4. Besides his hands,
which suffered the most because he tried to protect himself with them,
his ears, hair and face got burns as well.
"People took off my burnt clothes, but I put out my burning hair with
my hands. I heard that ambulance had arrived, walked to it and got
in on my own," he says, saying that the bandages from his hands will
be removed in three days.
There are 20 patients at the Center now. Davidyan says patients from
other hospitals have been transferred to the Center because their
skin was severely damaged and wounds were too deep.
Another young patient, 19-year-od student of Pedagogical Institute
Oksanna Osipyan will also be operated on by Deigler.
"A big explosion was followed by a wave of fire, and we started
burning. Hot balloons started falling on us, the vest I was wearing
burned and stuck to me. My hands, face, the skin on my head got burnt.
My face has recovered now," says Oksanna showing her burnt hair from
under her hat.
Resident of Talin, Arpine Ghandilyan, 20, has been at the Center for
twenty days. She has had surgery on the fingers of her left hand and
wrist (the skin was grafted from her left foot), as well as small
part of her forehead. She remembers:
"A very loud sound, and this strong breath of fire approaching me from
the front. My clothes started burning, I started burning. Some people
from behind tore off the Republican vest I was wearing. The sleeve of
my dress melted and stuck to my arm. They removed it at the hospital,"
she recalls.
Arpine says the surgery has been successful and hopes she'll be
discharged soon.
Professor Daigler, invited by President Serzh Sargsyan, paid a two
day visit. Health Minister Harutyun Kushkyan said, however, that if
necessary the German surgeon will stay longer or come again later.
The total of 154 people suffered from the blast, 33 of whom are still
in hospitals of Yerevan.
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow
23.05.12
A German plastic surgeon visiting Armenia has operated on eight
victims of the May 4 accident with balloons which ignited during the
Republican's campaign concert and left more than a hundred and fifty
people injured, a few dozens suffered deep burns.
Adrian Daigler, professor at German Heidelberg's University Clinic's
Center of Plastic and Reconstructive and Burn Surgery, has expressed
his high opinion of the surgeries that local experts have performed
and said that: "If there is a need for assistance and treatment in
Germany, we are ready and I am at your service, however, there are
really competent specialists here".
Norayr Davidyan, heading the Research Center of Radiation Medicine
and Burns (the Center), says they have jointly performed surgeries
together with Deigler.
"Of course, the professor's assistance is invaluable, it also gave
a chance to familiarize with his work," says Davidyan.
Plastic surgeries were performed on the hands, fingers and wrists of
the patients.
Eighteen-year-old Hayk Aghabekyan, student of Yerevan State Economic
University, is recovering from a surgery at the Center's Rehabilitation
department. The German professor has operated on his hands - from
fingers to wrists - replacing the damaged tissues with the skin taken
from his thighs.
"There was this huge fire globe in the air and we were running through
it. Panic-stricken I was running right towards the fire, and so got
burned really badly," recalls Hayk.
Hayk's hands underwent the first surgery on May 4. Besides his hands,
which suffered the most because he tried to protect himself with them,
his ears, hair and face got burns as well.
"People took off my burnt clothes, but I put out my burning hair with
my hands. I heard that ambulance had arrived, walked to it and got
in on my own," he says, saying that the bandages from his hands will
be removed in three days.
There are 20 patients at the Center now. Davidyan says patients from
other hospitals have been transferred to the Center because their
skin was severely damaged and wounds were too deep.
Another young patient, 19-year-od student of Pedagogical Institute
Oksanna Osipyan will also be operated on by Deigler.
"A big explosion was followed by a wave of fire, and we started
burning. Hot balloons started falling on us, the vest I was wearing
burned and stuck to me. My hands, face, the skin on my head got burnt.
My face has recovered now," says Oksanna showing her burnt hair from
under her hat.
Resident of Talin, Arpine Ghandilyan, 20, has been at the Center for
twenty days. She has had surgery on the fingers of her left hand and
wrist (the skin was grafted from her left foot), as well as small
part of her forehead. She remembers:
"A very loud sound, and this strong breath of fire approaching me from
the front. My clothes started burning, I started burning. Some people
from behind tore off the Republican vest I was wearing. The sleeve of
my dress melted and stuck to my arm. They removed it at the hospital,"
she recalls.
Arpine says the surgery has been successful and hopes she'll be
discharged soon.
Professor Daigler, invited by President Serzh Sargsyan, paid a two
day visit. Health Minister Harutyun Kushkyan said, however, that if
necessary the German surgeon will stay longer or come again later.
The total of 154 people suffered from the blast, 33 of whom are still
in hospitals of Yerevan.