By Paula M. Felipe
Chico Enterprise-Record
Copyright 2007 MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers
All Rights Reserved
PALERMO, Calif. — A Chico surgeon was forced to remove the leg of man as he sat trapped in his vehicle early Thursday morning.
The right leg of the driver, Bryant James Rix, 28, of Oroville, became pinned between the wreckage and a tree. After nearly two hours of trying to free the victim, a trauma physician from Enloe Medical Center in Chico was called to the scene, on Grubbs Road near Rabbitt Road.
Dr. Kevin Mitchell said he’s been a board certified trauma surgeon since 1993, but has never done a trauma procedure in the field.
He came to Enloe less than a month ago, and joined the hospital’s trauma team only Wednesday.
In fact, Enloe officials said Thursday was just the second time in 22 years the hospital has had to send a trauma physician to an accident scene.
Mitchell said he didn’t really know what to expect once he reached the crash, but was impressed with the way California Highway Patrol officer, Cal Fire-Butte County personnel and emergency medical technicians had the scene under control. He said they were talking with the victim to keep him calm and assured, as they monitored his condition.
He said Rix never lost consciousness.
The driver’s right leg was crushed and wedged between the vehicle and the oak tree. “This created a pressure and helped the blood coagulate. There was very minimal bleeding. The pressure functioned like a tourniquet. We had a concern if we did free the driver from the vehicle before the surgeon arrived, he might have more blood flow from arteries. We knew he was a viable patient, and we knew he could be saved,” said Cal Fire-Butte County Battalion Chief Russ Fowler.
Mitchell said there was nothing they could do to extricate Rix from the car without hurting him further. Fowler said Rix’s leg was already about 90 percent severed, and Mitchell completed the amputation quickly, taking off the victim’s right leg below the knee.
Because the car came to rest in a weedy, dusty field, Mitchell said the risk of infection was among his greatest concerns.
Mitchell said Rix had been told what was going to happen, and was resigned to it. The doctor said the victim seemed more concerned about the condition of his brother, than he did about losing his leg.
Once the procedure was completed, Mitchell said EMTs were able to prepare Rix for the flight to Enloe. He was placed on a special device to keep his spine stabilized, and received blood on the way to the hospital.
“He had tremendous will and youth on his side,” Mitchell said.
Passenger Daniel Rix, 21, sustained moderate injuries, but was able to get out of the demolished vehicle. Both were flown by FlightCare helicopter to Enloe.
At the request of family members, Enloe declined to state their conditions on Thursday.
The CHP said Rix was traveling west on Grubbs Road about 6 a.m. when he lost control of his 1996 Chrysler Seabring convertible.
After reportedly fishtailing, then rotating clockwise, the car smashed into an oak tree on the right side of the road.
The engine compartment and front end of the vehicle were torn away from the rest of the vehicle.
Paramedics arrived and gave the trapped driver an IV line. “His vitals were stable and blood pressure was good and he was given oxygen and fluids. We knew the extrication was going to be extensive,” said Fowler.
“We had to cut through the bottom of the vehicle. And the strength of these vehicles is in the bottom. We tried to cut the vehicle open to get to the patient and he was in extreme pain. We decided it was best not to move the vehicle too much until the surgeon arrived,” Fowler said.
“This is highly unusual to need to have a surgeon flown out to perform an amputation while the patient is still inside the vehicle,” Fowler added.
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