Dead for 40 Minutes But Man Brought Back to Life After Heart Attack [VIDEO]
A man was dead for 40 minutes and then brought back to life with the use of new medical techniques.
Colin Fiedler, 39, opened up about his life or death that took place in June of 2012 to The Herald Sun. He was clinically dead for more than 40 minutes after suffering a heart attack but the Alfred Hospital employed two new techniques to help get his heart pumping again. They are a mechanical CPR machine, which performs constant chest compressions, and a portable heart-lung machine to keep oxygen and blood flowing to the patient's brain and vital organs.
"I'm so grateful, more than I could ever say," Fielder said.
Fielder was only one of three patients who did not suffer from any permanent brain damage or disability with the help of the new machinery. The doctors were able to determine the cause of his attack but also but keep blood and oxygen flowing to the vital organs and brain, which reduces the risk of permanent disability. Fielder said he was given a choice as to which hospital he wanted care in while in the ambulance. His choice saved his life.
"For some reason, I said The Alfred, which is pretty lucky because they are the only one that has it," he said.
The health crisis had a profound impact on Fielder. It gave him a new lease on life and he began to live his life differently than he had before. Fielder explained that he has since changed his lifestyle since the heart attack. He has quit smoking and no longer worries about the small stuff.
The Alfred ambulance that transported Fielder to the hospital also used the AutoPulse machine to save the life of former junior world champion swimmer Clare Carney after she had cardiac arrest last year.
The Alfred Hospital said they were hoping to make the treatment available to others in Melbourne. They cited that the first two years of the trial experiment had been a success and more could be done. Senior intensive care physician Professor Stephen Bernard said it would required three trained intensive-care physicians and all the machinery ready to go on site, which no other hospital in Victoria, Australia currently had.
"We are looking to where to best implement these machines around Melbourne," he said.
