Fell off the roof, had a pulmonary embolism and is alive thanks to the doctors

Khaliliyah Hazem, 62 years old from Nazareth, installs shingled roofs for a living. Last week, while working, he fell off a roof from a height of three meters. He was rushed to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center with multisystem surgical injury, trauma and severe injuries around his chest, back and pelvis. While hospitalized in Surgery A, he experienced respiratory distress due to a severe pulmonary embolism - a blood clot that reached his lungs. Due to the complexity of his medical condition, and after consultation with the team of surgeons and cardiologists, it was decided to urgently take Khaliliyah into the catheterization room, while sedated and ventilated. There, in an unusual procedure, the team of doctors from the Cardiology Division was able to extract the blood clot from his lungs, while performing resuscitation and save his life.

The medical staff with Khaliliyah at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center

Dr. Ofer Kobo, one of the physicians who performed the procedure, said, “Khaliliyah was in truly life-threatening condition. While performing resuscitation, we were able to remove the blood clot from his lungs using a special technique. Happily, the procedure was a success. Afterwards, Khaliliyah was transferred to the General Intensive Care Unit, while sedated and ventilated. After five days, his condition stabilized, and he was hospitalized for continued treatment under observation in the Surgery Department.

Now, surrounded by the team of physicians who treated him, after recovering a bit and starting to feel better, Khaliliyah thanks the doctors who saved his life, “I don't remember how I fell. I woke up in the hospital and realized that I had injured my upper body. I never imagined that my condition would deteriorate and become truly life threatening. I would like to thank all the staff who cared for me with such dedication and professionalism, starting in the Emergency Room, the Surgery Department, Cardiology Division, Imaging Institute and General Intensive Care. Thanks to you, I’m here today.”