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Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin has been released from the Buffalo Medical Center, his club saying Wednesday, after more than a week of hospitalization due to cardiac arrest he suffered during a “Monday Night Football” game this month.
The 24-year-old Bills safety had been showing signs of accelerated improvement in the days before his discharge from Buffalo General Medical Center in New York, hospital officials said.
“We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with the team doctors, we are confident that Damar can be safely released to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills,” said the doctor who heads the team. Hamlin's care in Buffalo, Dr. Jamie Nadler, said in a statement the Bills posted Wednesday on Twitter.
Hamlin was initially hospitalized in Cincinnati when his heart stopped suddenly after a tackle during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, but was transferred to the Buffalo facility on Monday after doctors determined his critical condition had improved. enough for the move.
Doctors at the Buffalo hospital were trying to determine why Hamlin went into cardiac arrest, Kaleida Health, the hospital group that includes Buffalo medical center, said before his release. That included whether pre-existing conditions played a role in the event, which shocked many across the country and sparked an outpouring of support for the second-year NFL player.
On Tuesday, Hamlin underwent “a comprehensive medical evaluation, as well as a series of cardiac, neurological and vascular tests,” the Bills said on Twitter.
No cause for Hamlin's cardiac arrest has been publicly announced.
“A special thanks to Buffalo General because they have been nothing but love since they arrived! Keep me in his prayers please! Hamlin tweeted on Tuesday.
It will be up to Hamlin to decide when he will be back with the team as he recovers, Bills coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday.
“Thankful first and foremost to be home with his parents and his brother, which is great,” McDermott told reporters Wednesday, as the Bills prepared to host the Miami Dolphins in a playoff game on Sunday. No timetable has been announced for Hamlin's return to professional football.
“We'll leave it up to him (when he'll be around the team). His health is the first thing on our mind when it comes to his situation and when he feels ready, we will welcome him back,” McDermott said.
While in critical condition in Cincinnati, Hamlin was sedated and on a ventilator for days. His breathing tube was removed Friday morning, and Hamlin began walking with some assistance that afternoon, his doctors said Monday.
The health care team focused on stabilizing Hamlin and improved his condition Monday because his organ systems were stable and he no longer needed intensive nursing or respiratory therapy, doctors said.
“He's certainly on what we consider a very normal or even accelerated trajectory since the life-threatening event,” Dr. Timothy Pritts, chief of surgery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, said earlier this week. “He's making great progress.”
Normal recovery from cardiac arrest can be measured in weeks or months, Pritts said Monday. Hamlin had been beating that timeline at every stage and is neurologically intact.
When Hamlin collapsed seconds after a tackle in the open field against a Bengals wide receiver, medical personnel rushed to the field and quickly administered CPR, which helped save his life.
Hamlin's heart had stopped and medical responders revived him twice before carrying him to an ambulance and taking him to the hospital. The immediate actions of the medical staff were vital to “not only saving his life, but his neurological function,” Pritts said.
The horrific scene of Hamlin suddenly falling onto his back after getting up after the inning unsettled his teammates, the other players and millions of fans watching.
The game was initially postponed and then canceled by the NFL, a decision that several former football players said was a sign of a shift in prioritizing players' physical and mental health.
Now, the Bills organization is encouraging people to learn the critical and life-saving skill of administering CPR.
The team has pledged support for resources including CPR certifications, automated external defibrillator units and guidance to develop cardiac emergency response plans within the Buffalo community, according to the release. “We encourage all of our fans to continue showing their support and take the next step by becoming CPR certified,” the Bills said.
