Doctors Perform Emergency Amputation Under Cali Earthquake Rubble to Save Trapped Woman
Doctors performed an emergency amputation beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Cali after a woman became trapped with her right leg pinned under a concrete column following the Aug. 10 earthquake. The procedure allowed rescuers to free Paula Andrea Lasprilla, 48, alive after more than 10 hours of work at the site. Trauma […]
In Cali, Colombia, doctors performed an emergency amputation to save Paula Andrea Lasprilla, a 48-year-old woman trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building following the Aug. 10 earthquake. The trapped limb, her right leg, was pinned under a concrete column, leaving an open wound with exposed tissue. The medical team, comprising trauma surgeon Laureano Quintero, two other surgeons, paramedics, and members of the USAR group of Bomberos Cali, determined that they needed to amputate the trapped limb before they could extract her safely.
After assessing her condition, the team proceeded with the operation, using helmet-mounted lights and working in the confined space created by the collapsed building. The doctors obtained Lasprilla's consent for the amputation and controlled the bleeding before moving her. The risk of releasing a crushed limb was significant, as prolonged pressure can severely damage muscle tissue and cause complications when rescuers release the pressure. The doctors' quick and decisive action allowed them to save Lasprilla's life.
Brief written by urgent.news from Colombia One's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
