Hospital: Ariel Sharon's condition worsens
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-11 17:17

Ariel Sharon's condition has worsened and his life is in danger, a spokeswoman for the hospital caring for the Israeli leader said Saturday.

In a CT scan of Sharon's stomach Saturday, doctors discovered that his digestive track had been seriously damaged, said Yael Bossem-Levy, spokeswoman for Hadassah Ein-Kerem hospital. In light of the damage, it was decided to immediately operate on Sharon, Bossem-Levy said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon spreaks during the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office, Sunday, July 17, 2005. [AP]

"Sharon's life is in danger," Bossem-Levy told The Associated Press in a phone call after the statement was issued. His condition is now "very serious, or critical," she said.

The flow of blood to Sharon's digestive track lead to the deterioration in his condition, Army Radio reported.

Sharon, 77, suffered a severe stroke on Jan. 4 and has been unconscious ever since. A CT scan of his brain earlier this week showed that he remained in serious but stable condition.

A feeding tube was inserted in Sharon's stomach on Feb. 1, indicating his doctors were thinking in terms of long-term care.

Doctors have used CT scans to assess bleeding and swelling in Sharon's brain. According to past hospital statements, the results of the scans have not changed in recent weeks.

Sharon suffered a stroke with what was described as "significant" bleeding in his brain a day before he was to check into Hadassah Hospital for a procedure to correct a tiny defect in his heart that was said to have contributed to a mild stroke he suffered two weeks earlier.

Some have questioned whether doctors should have treated Sharon with massive doses of anticoagulants after his first stroke, which was caused by a small blood clot in a cranial artery. Doctors admitted that the anticoagulants made it more difficult for them to stop the bleeding from the later stroke.

The extensive bleeding and the lengthy operations Sharon underwent to stop it have led experts to conclude that he must have suffered severe brain damage and is unlikely to regain consciousness. If he does awaken, most say, the chances of his regaining meaningful cognition or activity are slim.

Sharon's stroke jolted Israel, which is gearing up for an election on March 28. The centrist Kadima Party that Sharon formed has a strong lead in the polls, which has not changed since his stroke.

Sharon left the Likud Party to gain a free hand in negotiations with the Palestinians.

Sharon had fought Likud hardliners to carry out Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, which was completed in September.