phishhead
May 5th, 2004, 20:06 PM
LOS ANGELES -- A Lancaster construction worker who slipped on the job, triggering a nail gun that shot six of the long projectiles into his head and neck, will join his doctor Wednesday to discuss his recovery.
Isidro Mejia, 39, had four nails penetrate his skull -- three went into his brain -- in the April 19 accident, according to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. Another of the nails lodged in his vertebral column just below the base of the skull.
"The neurosurgeon could not believe Isidro lived. With injuries like that, he should have been dead," a hospital spokesperson told Britain's The Sun newspaper.
Mejia was airlifted to the trauma center at Providence Holy Cross and, in less than four hours, Dr. Rafael Quinonez delicately removed five of the nails, according to the hospital.
The sixth, stuck in his face, was left in place until the swelling went down and removed April 23, doctors said.
Quinonez and Mejia are scheduled to talk about the case at a news conference at the hospital Wednesday.
Source: NBCSandiego.com (http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/3272049/detail.html?treets=dgo&tid=2652435243813&tml=dgo_12pm&tmi=dgo_12pm_1_02000105052004&ts=H)
Isidro Mejia, 39, had four nails penetrate his skull -- three went into his brain -- in the April 19 accident, according to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. Another of the nails lodged in his vertebral column just below the base of the skull.
"The neurosurgeon could not believe Isidro lived. With injuries like that, he should have been dead," a hospital spokesperson told Britain's The Sun newspaper.
Mejia was airlifted to the trauma center at Providence Holy Cross and, in less than four hours, Dr. Rafael Quinonez delicately removed five of the nails, according to the hospital.
The sixth, stuck in his face, was left in place until the swelling went down and removed April 23, doctors said.
Quinonez and Mejia are scheduled to talk about the case at a news conference at the hospital Wednesday.
Source: NBCSandiego.com (http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/3272049/detail.html?treets=dgo&tid=2652435243813&tml=dgo_12pm&tmi=dgo_12pm_1_02000105052004&ts=H)