Correa faces ‘crucial’ surgery, opted not to amputate

Michelle Foster
Juan Manuel Correa faces 'crucial' surgery

Juan Manuel Correa faces 'crucial' surgery

Juan Manuel Correa will undergo a 10-hour operation this Sunday after the racer opted not to have his right foot amputated following his horrific Formula 2 crash.

Correa was severely injured when he crashed into Anthoine Hubert on the second lap of the Formula 2 feature race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Hubert did not survive.

Correa has spent the past month in hospital, the surgery that he needed put on hold after he suffered Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

But with his lungs having healed and the 20-year-old in the “best condition possible”, surgeons in an orthopedic hospital in England will on Sunday operate on his lower right leg.

A statement from his family read: “Earlier this week, Juan Manuel was transferred to a new hospital in London, England that specialises in orthopedic surgeries as the focus shifts from his lungs to his lower body extremities.

“Juan Manuel is now fully conscious, and his lungs have recovered much faster than anticipated. His overall physical improvement and willpower has doctors impressed.

“The main objective this week has been to get Juan Manuel in the best condition possible for his surgery on Sunday that will be 10+ hours in duration.

“Sunday’ surgery will be crucial in determining Juan Manuel’s future. Doctors will have, for the first time since the accident, complete access to the wounds on his lower right leg. They will be able to determine the actual level of damage to his tibia, ankle, and foot.

“During surgery, they will save what can be saved and removed what needs to be removed in order to rebuild his right lower leg to the best possible condition. The surgeons are the top in their field and are cautiously optimistic given the fast-paced recovery that Juan Manuel has had in the previous week.

“The injuries that Juan Manuel sustained are severe, and the surgery procedure is very complex. Doctors gave Juan Manuel the option of right foot reconstructive amputation. He has chosen NOT to have the amputation and to proceed with the surgery, understanding all the challenges involved.”

PlanetF1 wishes Juan Manuel all the best ahead of Sunday’s surgery.

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