Doctor saved from death because he climbed mountains
Wed, 11/08/2010 - 13:29
A family GP cheated death from a potentially fatal brain haemorrhage by climbing the highest mountains on the planet.
Dr Alistair Sutcliffe revealed how his daredevil pursuits, which have included scaling the highest peak on each of the seven continents, miraculously protected him from a deadly brain bleed.
In a bizarre twist never before seen by the medic of over 20 years, he told how colleagues discovered he had two circulatory systems pumping blood into his brain, rather than the usual one, which stopped him suffering a stroke.
And it seems as if the 45-year-old's climbing passion, which led to him spending days on end at high altitude, may have kickstarted this lifesaving system.
Just two per cent of people pull through after suffering a bleed on the brain like the one experienced by the super-fit GP as they are usually fatal, with those that do usually unlikely to make a full recovery.
But Dr Sutcliffe, of Whitby, North Yorks., is fighting fit and planning to embark on a bid to become the first person to scale Everest twice on the same trip.
Dr Alistair Sutcliffe revealed how his daredevil pursuits, which have included scaling the highest peak on each of the seven continents, miraculously protected him from a deadly brain bleed.
In a bizarre twist never before seen by the medic of over 20 years, he told how colleagues discovered he had two circulatory systems pumping blood into his brain, rather than the usual one, which stopped him suffering a stroke.
And it seems as if the 45-year-old's climbing passion, which led to him spending days on end at high altitude, may have kickstarted this lifesaving system.
Just two per cent of people pull through after suffering a bleed on the brain like the one experienced by the super-fit GP as they are usually fatal, with those that do usually unlikely to make a full recovery.
But Dr Sutcliffe, of Whitby, North Yorks., is fighting fit and planning to embark on a bid to become the first person to scale Everest twice on the same trip.