Michael Schumacher’s surgeon denies he’s ‘performing experiments’ on F1 legend with stem cell treatment and slams fans who expect ‘miracles’
MICHAEL Schumacher's doctor has warned fans that he "does not work miracles" following stem cell therapy he performed on the F1 star.
Dr Philippe Menasché has also slammed claims he was carrying out "experiments" on the legendary racing driver when he treated him in Paris last month.
Little was known about the stem-cell operation, but seven-time world champion Schumacher is believed to have received transfusions of inflammation-reducing stem cells.
Amongst the media flurry surrounding the top-secret op, local media reported on it as "experimental."
Menasche - known as a pioneer in stem-cell research - has slammed these claims, telling Italian newspaper : "I do not perform miracles.
"My team and I are not doing an experiment, an abominable term that is not in line with a serious medical view."
STEM-CELL 'PIONEER'
Schumacher's condition is not public knowledge, but after the procedure last month, a nurse told: "Yes he is in my service ... And I can assure you that he is conscious."
The French paper also said Schumacher has been treated at least twice previously at the Georges-Pompidou hospital in Paris, admitted each time under a false name and treated by a small medical team.
It was also reported that the F1 driver was accompanied by security staff.
Schumacher's health has been shrouded in secrecy ever since a near-fatal brain injury he suffered in 2013.
The seven time F1 champion suffered severe head injuries on a family skiing holiday in the French Alps and has not been seen in public since.
What is stem cell therapy and how does it work?
STEM cell therapy is one of the most promising new medical treatments.
Stem cells are the body's raw materials - the cells from which all cells in the body are generated.
In the lab, scientists can take stem cells and help them divide to create daughter cells.
These daughter cells can either become new stem cells or turn into specialised cells - blood, brain, heart muscle, bone cells for example.
Scientists and doctors across the world hope stem cells could prove the breakthrough for treating a range of conditions, from heart disease to cancer.
How does it work?
One of the key ways stem cell treatment can work is to repair or regenerate damaged and diseased tissues.
By taking the cells and creating specialised heart muscle cells for example, doctors can help repair damaged heart muscle and use them to treat heart failure.
Who can benefit?
According to the Mayo Clinic in the US, patients with a wide range of illnesses and disease could benefit from the treatment.
They include those suffering:
- spinal cord injuries
- type 1 diabetes
- Parkinson's
- Alzheimer's disease
- heart disease
- stroke
- burns
- cancer
- osteoarthritis
Stem cells can also be used to grow new tissue that can then be used for transplants and regenerative medicine.
It means in future, stem cells could be used to grow new organs rather than relying on organ donation.
HEALTH AND PRIVACY
He was skiing with his son Mick when he fell and cracked his head on a boulder on the Combe de Saulire above Méribel.
The devastating injury left him paralysed and unable to speak.
Schumacher spent three months in a medically-induced coma after the accident and has had years of intensive care at his house in Gland, a Swiss town on the shore of Lake Geneva.
His condition now appears to have stabilised and in January this year he was taken by helicopter to the family's holiday home in Mallorca for his 50th birthday.
In a celebratory post on Instagram, his family wrote: "Please understand if we are following Michael's wishes and keeping such a sensitive subject as health, as it has always been, in privacy."
They confirmed that Schumacher was in "the very best of hands."
The wall of secrecy is reportedly enforced by his wife, Corinna.
Forumla One's head of motorsport, Ross Brawn has spoken publicly about Corinna's decision to keep her husband's health private.
He said: "I am constantly in touch with Corinna, and I totally agree with their decision."
MOST READ IN WORLD NEWS
"Michael has always been a very private person and that's been a guiding principle in his career, his life and his family always agreed with that choice.
"It's completely understandable that Corinna has wanted to maintain the same approach, even after the tragic event, and it's a decision we must all respect.
"I'm sure the millions of people who are still Michael fans will understand it, too."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at
[email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.