Former Minnesota Twins star, Kirby Puckett, remains in critical condition in a Phoenix, Arizona hospital after suffering what is being called a massive stroke. 45-year-old Puckett underwent surgery the day prior to relieve pressure due to bleeding in his brain. Dr. David Anderson, head of Neurology at the University of Minnesota, provides some background on strokes.
CATHY WURZER: It's monday morning. This is morning edition on Minnesota Public Radio news. I'm Cathy Wurzer. Former Minnesota Twins star Kirby Puckett remains in critical condition this morning in a Phoenix, Arizona hospital after suffering what is being called a massive stroke. Puckett, who is 44, underwent surgery yesterday to relieve pressure due to bleeding in his brain. Joining us now with some background on strokes, is Dr. David Anderson, the head of neurology at the University of Minnesota.
Good to talk with you, Doctor. Good morning.
DAVID ANDERSON: Good morning.
CATHY WURZER: Now I know there are two types of stroke. Can you determine which Puckett suffered?
DAVID ANDERSON: From what you've just told me, I think I can made-- the two types are due to-- the first due to obstruction of a blood vessel so that the brain is injured by lack of nutrients to the part that is downstream from the obstruction, and then the other is when a blood vessel ruptures. And typically, the latter is a more severe type of stroke and most likely to lead to a critical condition in the very early stages. And that is what I surmise is the problem with Kirby.
CATHY WURZER: Can you determine if this is a rupture hemorrhagic stroke? What kind of surgery is usually necessary?
DAVID ANDERSON: Well, again, this is speculative. There are several possibilities, and one would be that the surgeons tried to remove the clot, which is taking up extra room inside the head, which is a closed space otherwise and there-- it sound though there was a problem with pressure and it would be my guess about what happened.
But other possibilities would be that a tube was placed to drain off spinal fluid again to give room and to reduce pressure. And yet another would be that the bleeding site was directly addressed with an aneurysm clip, but I suspect that was not the issue here.
CATHY WURZER: No matter how you look at it, Doctor, what kind of damage is the potential here to do this kind of stroke?
DAVID ANDERSON: I suspect that what has happened is that parts of the brain have been pushed and deformed by a blood clot, and typically that there is some opportunity for that brain to rebound and begin operating again, but it's a remains to be seen how much resilience there is here.
CATHY WURZER: It may be tough to answer this question, how likely could a full recovery be?
DAVID ANDERSON: It's hard to say without knowing more about the situation. The fact that he required early surgery, I think worrisome. My guess would be that he's pretty sick. And that would indicate that the chances for a full recovery are lessened. I would recall for you that Al Newman, a teammate of Kirby's a few years ago, had a hemorrhagic stroke and did in fact make a full recovery. So it's hard to speculate without more knowledge.
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