Miami Officer Gets Surgery While in Cruiser

[VentMedic]

Surgery at crash scene rescues trapped Miami police officer

Published: Tue, 08/18 @ 2:22PM

http://www.miamiherald.com/1460/v-mobile/story/1191078.html

A predawn crash Tuesday on the Don Shula Expressway left a Miami police officer trapped in his car with a sign pole piercing his leg.

But Miami-Dade Fire Rescue paramedics wouldn't be able to get him out in time to stop the bleeding, meaning the doctor would have to go to him.

As the helicopter neared, Pizano quickly assembled his kit: Gigli wire saw, scalpels, clamps, bandages, painkillers and sedatives.

Air Rescue South's pilots kept the chopper's long rotor blades spinning when they landed it at Ryder's helicopter pad at 3:10 a.m. They took off with Pizano onboard 15 minutes later, according to fire rescue records.

As the helicopter raced southwest, Pizano ran four different scenarios in his head as he planned how he would treat Rodriguez. When they landed near the crash at 3:30 a.m., the scene was brutal.

``One of the poles that was holding up the construction sign pierced the driver's door of the patrol car, went through the leg of the officer and came out the window,''

Video of the car:
http://www.justnews.com/video/20448085/index.html

 

[berkeman]

Thanks, Vent. Good teamwork. Great EMS on-scene, and it sounds like he's a very talented doc.

For exactly one hour, Pizano and the firefighters surrounding the car took turns performing tasks -- Pizano operating on Rodriguez and firefighters cutting away at the car's metal roof. The most difficult part, Pizano said, was to avoid hurting Rodriguez further while keeping him alert by not applying enough pain medication to knock him out.

``It's a fine line,'' Pizano said.

By 4:30 a.m., they were done freeing Rodriguez from his cruiser and loading him onto the chopper, Pizano at his side.

``Without a doubt, it worked,'' Ballester said of the procedure.

 

[el Murpharino]

I wonder had this been a civilian if they would have called for a surgeon to the scene.

 

[VentMedic]

I wonder had this been a civilian if they would have called for a surgeon to the scene.

Yes they would have given someone else the same treatment for something of such a unique situation.

It has been done before and for people of all nationalities and employment. We do not discriminate in an emergency.

However not all will make headlines like that of a Policer Officer crashing.

This just happened to be this doctor's first time to be taken.