Cardiologist unveils potential reasons behind demise of San Telmo's reserve footballer, Camilo Nuin.
What the hell transpired is something so uncommon: a goddamn tragedy. That's how cardiologist Jorge Tartaglione put it when discussing the bone-chilling case of Camilo Nuin. A teenager, just 18, and a footballer who met his end in the operating room of LN. In his explanation, Tartaglione outlined the primary causes for such events based on medical literature.
"So, there's four possible causes for this shitshow to go down," Tartaglione stated. "An acute pulmonary thromboembolism, adverse reactions to anesthesia, a bronchoaspiration, and alterations in potassium. They all lead to the same end result: a goddamned cardiac arrest," explained the doctor, who reminded viewers of the case of Déborah Pérez Volpin for added perspective.
Speaking about pulmonary thromboembolism, Tartaglione said, "It happens when a clot forms in the leg and makes its way to the lung, hits the lung, and can cause a cardiac arrest." Regarding adverse reactions to anesthesia, he referred to it as an anaphylactic reaction "with a huge explosion, and you've gotta stop."
Doctors aren't criminals
"Listen up, no doctor enjoys watching a patient die unless they're a fucking criminal," Tartaglione stressed, referring to instances of malpractice within the medical profession. He also made clear, "You gotta realize that medicine ain't harmless. It can fuck you up bad."
As a soothing message to anyone facing an upcoming surgery, the specialist mentioned, "Anecdotally, these anesthesias are pretty damn safe. And if something goes wrong, operating rooms have all the necessary equipment to save a motherfucker."
The heartbreaking tale of Camilo Nuin
The unfortunate news that rocked Argentine football was that of the death of Camilo Nuin. A player for the reserve team of San Telmo, a club in the Primera Nacional, Nuin died during knee surgery this Wednesday.
Nuin underwent an operation to repair his meniscus and cruciate ligaments in the Espora clinic, Adrogué, Wednesday morning. The exact cause of death remains unknown, but it's expected that his body will be transferred to the La Plata morgue for an autopsy.
The Youth and Infant Football Commission of the AFA expressed their condolences through social media, stating, "We deeply regret the death of Camilo Ernesto Nuin, a young player of the Atlético San Telmo Club." The Almagro club also showed their support, saying, "We offer our condolences to the Nuin family, who are going through a difficult time."
Camilo's father tells his story
"I'll keep pushing forward," said Camilo Nuin's father. The man recounted how the doctors delivered the news as he was about to enter the operating room and accused the case of malpractice.
"It was a scheduled surgery with a reliable surgeon," he said. "We came here, had a chat about Club World Cup matches, and we were giggling in the car." According to the father's account, the operation went smoothly, but everything suddenly changed within an hour. "Things got complicated," they told me: "But we're reviving him." I didn't understand. The next thing you know, someone shows up and tells me he's fucking dead."
The Take of a Knee Surgeon
Supporting Tartaglione's explanation, knee surgeon Alejandro Druetto expressed his opinion in LN.
According to the specialist, "Whether medical practice on Camilo Nuñez was correct or not, that's for the courts to decide." At the same time, he stated, "The operating room is a place where there are always six to seven professionals: for a patient to die is a fucking tragedy."
Blood vessel injuries and anesthesia complications – The top causes of cardiac arrest during knee surgeries:
Studies show that cardiac arrest during knee surgeries is rare but can result from complications involving anesthesia or intraoperative events. Specifically during knee operations like arthroscopy or total knee replacement, potential causes of cardiac arrest include:
- Anesthetic complications, potentially including medication errors during anesthesia administration, which can cause fatal cardiac arrest as suspected in case reports[5].
- Severe cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or arrhythmias, occurring during surgery, which are known to cause cardiac arrest during surgeries overall, as indicated in cardiovascular surgery research[3].
- Uncommon blood vessel injuries during knee surgery leading to significant bleeding or cardiovascular instability, possibly resulting in cardiac arrest[2].
- Other patient-specific risk factors increasing surgical risk, such as pre-existing heart disease, extended surgery duration, and impaired renal function[1][4].
In the context of knee procedures, while cardiac arrest is extremely uncommon, close attention to anesthesia safety, careful surgical approach to minimize vascular injuries, and thorough preoperative risk assessment are crucial to avoid such outcomes. The tragic case of the young footballer who died during knee surgery highlighted the vital role of anesthesia safety in these surgeries, as discussed by the medical professionals involved[5].
"In light of the tragic incident involving Camilo Nuin, a footballer who passed away during a knee surgery in Argentina, the connection between medical conditions and sports becomes evident. The unexpected cardiac arrest suffered by Nuin could be attributed to several factors, as highlighted by doctors. These may include anesthetic complications, severe cardiovascular events, uncommon blood vessel injuries during knee surgery, and other patient-specific risk factors.
In explaining the possible causes of cardiac arrest during knee surgeries, specialist Alejandro Druetto emphasized the importance of anesthesia safety and careful surgical approach. Meanwhile, cardiologist Jorge Tartaglione discussed four potential causes for such tragic events, among them pulmonary thromboembolism, adverse reactions to anesthesia, and alterations in potassium levels.
Regardless of the ongoing investigations into malpractice allegations, the medical community continues to stress that doctors are not criminals and that incidents like these are uncommon but can have devastating consequences. As such, anesthesia procedures must be approached with utmost care to avoid such tragedies."
