The Miracle of Medical Advances: How Israeli Soldiers Survive Severe Injuries
In the modern age, it's not a rare sight to see young men in their early twenties with serious injuries or missing limbs on the streets of Israel. Over 500 soldiers have managed to survive grievous injuries sustained during conflict in Gaza, injuries that in previous years, would have resulted in loss of life or permanent disability.
What has led to such a significant change? The answer is advancements in medical technology and the invaluable lessons learned by surgeons from treating numerous soldiers.
Medical Marvels That Have Changed the Battlefield
A soldier named Nevo, who is 25 years old, shares his experience of surviving a severe explosion in Gaza. He firmly believes that if it were the previous war, he would have been left with only one leg and one lung. However, thanks to modern medicine, his life is much different.
Nevo is one of many soldiers who owe their lives and limbs to a civilian surgeon from Israel. This surgeon has not only treated these soldiers but also shared her expertise with leading doctors at a renowned clinic in Minnesota.
As per the new protocol of the Israeli military, the identities of soldiers who served in Gaza are kept confidential to protect them from potential allegations of war crimes.
Technological Advances Revolutionizing Battlefield Medicine
One of the most significant innovations comes in the form of drones delivering blood units to the battlefield. A drone, referred to as Thor, can not only drop bombs but also deliver blood units, considering the wind direction, directly to the injured soldiers on the ground in Gaza.
Past battles saw Israeli medics using freeze-dried plasma to treat the wounded. However, the military has now developed technology to deliver whole blood, stored at the appropriate temperature, to a severely bleeding soldier on the battlefield. This innovative method has played a crucial role in saving soldiers' lives.
Another innovative device now being used in Gaza separates oxygen from the air to ventilate wounded soldiers. This device eliminates the need for pressurized oxygen cylinders, which are not safe for battlefield use.
Dr. Todd Rasmussen, a former U.S. Air Force surgeon, highlights the importance of these innovations. He states that while the need for quick blood transfusion was learned in the Second World War, the use of drones to deliver blood to medics is a revolutionary new concept.
The Silver Lining of War: Sharing Medical Advances
Doctors treating soldiers in Israel and Ukraine are now sharing their experiences and knowledge with surgeons in the U.S. Despite the grim circumstances, these shared experiences and new methodologies can lead to improved care for civilians, according to Rasmussen.
Saving Lives and Limbs: A Surgeon's Tale
Dr. Galit Sivak at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel, has done an exceptional job. She has managed to save the limbs of 35 soldiers, including Nevo, by employing a method she developed during the Gaza war.
She describes the severity of Nevo's injuries, speaking about his lung injury, lost teeth, and severely damaged leg. However, she decided to go against the usual medical protocol and treated both the lung and leg injury simultaneously, a decision that ultimately saved Nevo's leg.
Even though the current conflict in Gaza has resulted in more limb injuries among soldiers, one advantage is the quick evacuation by helicopter to top-notch hospitals in Israel.
Despite the war, Sivak has also treated several Palestinian suspects who were severely injured and detained by the Israeli military. Unfortunately, Palestinian civilians in Gaza have not had access to Israel's advanced medical system since the war began.
The Enduring Scars of War
Even after surviving the horrors of war and severe injuries, soldiers like Nevo carry visible and invisible scars for the rest of their lives. Despite his leg missing large chunks of muscle, Nevo can now engage in CrossFit training, ride a bike, and is currently traveling in Asia. Yet, his mind frequently wanders back to the moment of the explosion that changed his life forever.
Many soldiers who have served in Gaza now bear tattoos with the date of their injury, a constant reminder of their life-altering experience. They are the young soldiers carrying scars, some invisible, for the rest of their lives.
