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A 75-year-old British tourist who collapsed aboard a cruise ship in Bodrum, Türkiye, has recovered after Turkish surgeons repaired a potentially fatal 7-centimeter tear in his windpipe.
Bernard Cotterill, who arrived in the popular southwestern resort town with his wife about a month ago, suddenly lost consciousness on board the vessel for reasons that remain unknown.
The ship's medical team intubated him, inserting a breathing tube to maintain his airway, before transferring him to a private hospital in Bodrum for emergency treatment.
Doctors discovered a tear measuring approximately 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) in his trachea, or windpipe, along with severe swelling around his neck. Given the life-threatening nature of the injury, Cotterill was immediately placed in intensive care.
Thoracic surgeon Dr. Ayten Guner Akbiyik, who performed the operation, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that doctors used bronchoscopy, a procedure involving a thin camera inserted into the airways, to determine the location and extent of the tear.
Akbiyik explained that such injuries are rare and can prove fatal, while the tear's proximity to the esophagus, the tube carrying food to the stomach, made the surgery particularly delicate.
During the procedure, surgeons stitched up the damaged section and reinforced it with living tissue to prevent an abnormal connection from forming between the windpipe and esophagus.
Following the operation, Cotterill remained under intensive care observation before undergoing respiratory physiotherapy and physical rehabilitation.
Akbiyik said the patient had made a full recovery, adding that the medical team was pleased to have successfully treated such a serious injury and prepared him for his return to the United Kingdom.
Following his recovery, Cotterill credited the Turkish medical team with giving him a second chance at life.
"Doctors are fantastic, absolutely extraordinary. I have no idea what they do or how they manage it. It feels like a second life, like black and white. I am 75, and I have probably gone back to being 21 again," he said.
Cotterill, who previously visited Türkiye on a cruise 15 years ago, also praised the hospital staff for their care throughout his treatment.
He said everyone, from doctors and cleaners to interpreters, had treated him like a member of the royal family, adding that he owed a great deal to the surgeon who saved his life.
His wife of 47 years, Hazel Elizabeth Cotterill, thanked the surgeon and medical team, saying they realized they had made the right decision by following the ship doctor's recommendation to seek treatment at the hospital.
After spending approximately three weeks receiving hospital care, Cotterill is expected to be discharged and return to the United Kingdom with his wife.
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