Michael Schumacher's critical head injury from a skiing accident is being taken "hour by hour" doctors said on Monday. They refused to predict the outcome for the Formula One driver.
The seven-time racing champion is still in a medically induced come, chief anesthesiologist Jean-Francois Payen told reporters. Schumacher's current condition is their only focus, the Associated Press reported.
"We cannot predict the future for Michael Schumacher," Payen said, who's also in charge of the intensive care unit.
Schumacher, the most successful driver in Formula One history, arrived at the Grenoble University Hospital Center on Sunday, already in a coma and immediately underwent brain surgery, the AP reported.
"He is in a critical state in terms of cerebral resuscitation," Payen said.
The German driver was at the French Alpine resort of Meribel skiing with his son on Sunday morning when the accident occurred. Schumacher fell and hit the right side of his head on a rock. According to the AP, he was wearing a helmet, but the doctors said it was clearly not sufficient to prevent a serious brain injury.
"Someone who had suffered this accident without a helmet would not have made it this far," Payen said.
Gerard Saillant, a trauma surgeon who operated on Schumacher when he broke his leg in a race crash in 1999, told reporters that Schumacher's age - he turns 45 on Jan. 3 - and his fitness should work in his favor.
Caution is being taken about Schumacher's prognosis by the Grenoble medical team as they work to relive the pressure on his brain. His body temperature has been lowered to between 93.2 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, as part of the medically induced coma, the AP reported.
The area where Schumacher was skiing is part of a web of trails that slice down through a vast and, in parts, very steep snowfield. Although challenging, the snowfield is not extreme skiing. The runs are broad and neatly tended, and the ungroomed area in between, known as off-piste, is free of trees, according to the AP.
Although agitated and shocked, Schumacher was conscious when first responders arrived, the resort officials said. He was airlifted to a local hospital and then later brought to Grenoble. But on Monday, Payen said after the fall Schumacher was not in "normal state of consciousness." His limbs appeared to be moving involuntarily and he wasn't responding to questions.
His wife and other family members are by his bedside, the AP reported.
"The family is not doing very well obviously," said his manager Sabine Kehm, who added that the family still appreciated the outpouring of support. "They are shocked."
Formula One drivers rushed to wish Schumacher a quick recovery upon hearing the news of the accident.
"Like millions of Germans, the chancellor and members of the government were extremely dismayed when they heard about Michael Schumacher's serious skiing accident," German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in Berlin.
"I am shocked and hope that he will get better as soon as possible," Sebatian Vettel, who was once referred to as "Baby Schumi," told Deutsche Press-Agnetur.
Ferrari, which Schumacher raced for, expressed its concern in a statement.
"Everyone at Ferrari has been in a state of anxiety since hearing about Michael Schumacher's accident," it said, adding that company president, Luca di Montezemolo, and race team leader, Stefano Domenicali, were in contact with the family.
British former world champion Jenson Button said his "thoughts are with Michael Schumacher at this tough time. ... Michael more than anyone has the strength to pull through this."
Schumacher broke his leg in a crash in 1999 at the Silverstone race course. In 2009, he suffered serious neck and spine injuries after a motorcycling accident in Spain, the AP reported. Schumacher won seven drivers' championships and 91 race wins throughout his career. After initial success with the Benetton team, Schumacher moved to Ferrari and helped turn the Italian team into the sport's dominant force.
He made a comeback in 2010 and raced with Mercedes for three years.
