Doctors: Kevin Everett's Injury is Life-Threatening

The doctors at this time do not know whether the injury will contract or expand from this point forward.

Photo courtesy: NFL.com

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - It was eagerly anticipated news when the Bills provided an update on Kevin Everett Monday afternoon, following his game halting spine injury on the second half kickoff of Sunday's loss to Denver.

But the update only gave a clearer picture as to the severity of what is still a potentially lethal injury, and the steps that were taken to give him the greatest chance for recovery.

Everett suffered a fracture dislocation between the third and fourth cervical vertebra. So there was an injury to the cervical spine and cervical spinal cord. But the spinal cord was intact. There was disc material pushing on the cord and bone was applying pressure as well.

"The vertebrae were out of alignment," said team orthopedist Dr. Andrew Cappuccino, who specializes in injuries of the spine. "The vertebrae of the spine line up like box cars of a train. The third cervical vertebra had translocated completely over the front of the fourth cervical vertebra causing a scissoring effect on the spinal cord."

"Emergency decompressive surgery was performed Sunday night to prevent pinching of the spinal cord," said team medical director Dr. John Marzo as part of a Monday afternoon press conference at One Bills Drive.

The surgery was performed by Cappuccino and Dr. Kevin Gibbons at Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital in downtown Buffalo after consent was granted by Everett who was awake and alert along with his mother who was reached by phone. The surgery lasted about four hours as Everett had his third and fourth vertebrae fused together.

"Dr. Gibbons and myself worked first on the front side of the cervical spine to remove the disc, realign the spine and to fixate the spine between the third and fourth vertebrae with a bone graft, with a small cage, and with a plate and four screws," said Cappuccino. "We had the spine in good alignment and it was confirmed on all x-ray studies."

The second half of the surgery involved placing Everett face down.

"A second incision was made on the back of his neck," said Cappuccino. "The spine was decompressed or the pressure was relieved. The spinal cord was completely decompressed and the spine was fixated from the back with four screws and two small rods. At that point in time an intra-operative ultrasound was performed to evaluate the cord, the covering of the cord and the cord itself were completely intact and looked good."

Everett, who spoke to his mother personally before the surgery, said he did not want her to worry and that he loved her and his sisters and that he would get better according to Cappuccino. His mother has since arrived in Buffalo from Texas and saw her son in his sedated state.

Following surgery he was placed in the intensive care unit and was put on a respirator by choice as high cervical spine injuries carry a greater risk of respiratory failure if respiratory support is not provided. Everett was also placed in a deeply sedated drug-induced state to protect the integrity of the surgical procedure.

Prior to putting him in that state, Everett had decreased sensation, but the ability to feel all of his limbs. This test also showed voluntary movement in his legs, though it was being stated by the doctors that it is only a preliminary result and should be construed as neither a positive nor negative result. It's too early for a prognosis which is why Everett's case is being labeled an incomplete spinal cord injury.

The doctors at this time do not know whether the injury will contract or expand from this point forward. An accurate prognosis will likely not be determined for another 72 hours at the earliest.

Dr. Cappuccino cautioned that Everett is still considered to be in a life-threatening situation, though his chances are improved following surgery.

"I want to caution everyone to understand that this was early in the healing phase and this is not a prognostic indicator and this young man suffered a potentially lethal and grave injury," said Cappuccino. "So we are still gravely concerned."

On the positive side Everett's high fitness level as an NFL player is deemed an asset in his battle to recover from this severe injury according to the physicians.

As far as assessing Everett's chances of walking again Cappuccino said the tight end's chances are not good.

"By life I'm an optimist, but as a scientist and a clinician I have to tell you statistically the chances of that occurring are very small," Cappuccino said.

According to Cappuccino, Everett remembered the entire play that led to this severe injury. Prior to surgery the team's spinal specialist informed Everett that his chances for a full neurologic recovery were less than five to 10 percent and that surgery was his best alternative but still an option. Everett chose surgery.

"Kevin said, 'Do everything that you can to help me with this,'" said Cappuccino.

Players Trying to Cope

With Everett not able to speak to his teammates in his current state the players have been asked to refrain from visiting at this time. For Everett's teammates it's been a trying 24 hours.

"I think it's probably the hardest thing I'll ever have to go through as an individual just watching him go through something like that," said an emotional Brian Moorman. "It's a close team, probably the closest team I've been on since I've been in Buffalo, and when you see that happen it's really tough. I hope it's the last time I ever have to choke back tears on the middle of the playing field."

The players are hoping for the best, but it's evident they're all desperately waiting for some encouraging news. Despite all the details that were provided by the team physicians an official prognosis has yet to take place.

"We definitely know it's pretty serious, but just the extent of that seriousness is what we want to find out," said J.P. Losman. "The final prognosis is what we're looking for. Everyone wants to know. Once we find out we'll be able to show our support in whatever way we choose to do so."

Moving Forward

Bills head coach Dick Jauron said the mood in meetings and walk through corrections Monday was not what it normally is following a loss. It was considerably more somber.

"It wasn't anything that remotely resembles what's after just a normal football game," Jauron said. "Not immediately afterwards, certainly not today. I don't know how long it will stay that way. It does to a great degree make the game trivial. I think the effort to play the game and the effort to build a team and the feelings of teammates for each other, all those things are critically important and we play to win. But the outcome of a game is really put in perspective once something like this occurs."

At the same time Jauron has faith that his team will be able to get their work done this week as they prepare for a week two matchup with Pittsburgh while keeping Kevin Everett's well being in the back of their minds.

"It will be difficult to some degree and in one sense it will be just what we do," said Jauron. "You do go on and you do move forward without him leaving your thoughts. But they'll prepare, they'll prepare well. They're really a solid group of guys. They like each other, they work hard, they play hard, we've just got to play smarter."

"We're trying not to talk about it too much because you don't want guys to get down," said tight end Robert Royal. "You definitely want guys to continue to stick together because we have some things that we need to fix football-wise to try to go out and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. But we're never forgetting about Kevin."

Story by: Chris Brown

Courtesy: BuffaloBills.com

Adding comments to these stories has been disabled. View the current sports stories Salem-News Sports