Get well soon-Niki Lauda

[Oliver Dale]

Sending VERY best wishes to Niki Lauda after his lung transplant. Get well soon, Champ!

[caneparo]

Autosprint reports his condition as “very serious” and other italian media quite austrian media saying he is in life danger

[kals]

Get well soon Niki

Three-time Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda has undergone lung transplant surgery in Austria on Thursday.

The 69-year-old is a non-executive chairman of the Mercedes Formula 1 team, and owns a percentage of the team.

He was reportedly taken ill while on holiday in Ibiza recently, and flew to Vienna for treatment for a "severe cough".

Lauda suffered lung injuries in his fiery crash in the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring that almost cost him his life.

He inhaled toxic gases and flames in the crash's aftermath, but made an amazing recovery to return to the cockpit just three races later.

A statement from the Vienna General Hospital said: "Due to a severe affection of the lungs, Niki Lauda had to undergo a lung transplantation at the AKH Vienna today.

"The transplantation was done successfully by Walter Klepetko, head of thoracic surgery, and Konrad Hotzenecker.

"We kindly ask for your understanding that the family won't give any official statements and we ask to protect the privacy of the Lauda family."

[Everso Biggyballies]

So he has now had a few kidney transplants and now a full lungs transplant, all as a result of his accident. Thanks for the updates.... I knew he was in intensive care last week and had not been at the last two GPs, but was not aware that his recent problems were lung related. All I know is he flew himself from home in Ibiza to Vienna to see the surgeon and was immediately put into intensive care.

I read only yesterday that he was no longer in intensive care and was now in a general ward. Im not sure now if that is the case but regardless i Wish Niki all the very best for a speedy and full recovery in this latest challenge. I have always been a huge fan of Lauda stretching back to his F2 days, and I can thank him for my becoming so interested in following F1 and ultimately motor racing. Although my Father took me to a number of races pre the Lauda days, my first 'solo' visit to a race was purely to follow Niki. I still remember thinking how swift and crisp his gearchanges were compared to others back in the day.

He is as we know a fighter under these situations and I hope we soon see this iconic figure back in the F1 paddock.

[Antonov]

If someone has fighting power, it is Niki. Get well soon, champ!

@Everso Biggyballies - did you see f1 races in person with Niki driving?
Thanks also for suggesting to me 'To Hell and Back' a few years ago. Still one of my favourite reads.

[Everso Biggyballies]

If someone has fighting power, it is Niki. Get well soon, champ!

@Everso Biggyballies - did you see f1 races in person with Niki driving?
Thanks also for suggesting to me 'To Hell and Back' a few years ago. Still one of my favourite reads.

Yes, many times. Back in those days we used to have 3 F1 races a year in England.... the Two non championship races in March and April, the Race of Champions at Brands and the International Trophy at Silverstone, plus of course the GP.
FWIW I was once sat at the next table to Niki, when I was having breakfast staying at the Saxon Hotel in Northampton when I first moved there.. It was after his accident because he was scarred and wearing his hat. I did not speak to him as he was with others, but I acknowlwdged him and was careful not to stare at him because I knew he was sensitive to that sort of treatment.
I posted photos of Niki and Ferrari from the pitlane at Silverstone a few years ago
Here: viewtopic.php?p=229188#p229188

[John]

I hope it works out well. Keep fighting, champ.

[PTRACER]

Living legend, this is just another pitstop he's having to keep him in the race. Funny though, I think he was still on his original set of lungs and he'd continued smoking since the accident too. I guess he'll finally have to give up!

[John]

http://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/chronik/ ... /343379206

Swedish media reporting that Niki is in medically induced coma, and the situation is life threatening, source from Austrian newspaper above. Someone can perhaps translate.

The doctor, Walter Klepetko, says that they're optimistic, but the next few days are crucial and Niki will need some luck to pull through.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Im no Doctor but my belief is that he was on life support and in motal danger before the op. Im sure he would still be under the assistance of a ventilator and other life support now, but that is expected. Apparently complications with Lauda are because many of the medications he might need to assist his lung recovery run a risk of reacting with his existing kidney medications.

The real danger will be if there are any rejections with the new lungs. This is a common recurrence with any major transplant and the reason usually for failure.

The good news is that the success rate of lung transplants is now greater than ever, and he is in the hands of the worlds best surgeons for this type of surgery. They say that the current survival rate is up to five years at 65% chance.

The next few days will for sure be critical. Thoughts prayers and best wishes to Niki making a full recovery. We know he will fight for all its worth.

[Everso Biggyballies]

I am hoping some of the reports in the press suggesting he is in a vegetative state are just clickbait. If it is there should be laws against such gutter publications.

The hospital did say there would be no statements in respect of the family, but they have said they are very happy with his progress since the operation on Thursday.. As I said in my previous post, yes I am sure he is on a ventilator and life support. Yes he will be in intensive care for the foreseeable future. He has had a very complex, dangerous and major operation so I dont find that unusual. Again as I said before, rejection of the lungs by his body will be his greatest issue and potential problem.

The surgeons did say that it is not to be assumed the lung damage was directly related to his accident. They did say that normally such an operation needs at least three weeks in hospital after, but said Niki might be longer due to his age.

A report from Autosport within the last hour makes no mention of any deterioration in his condition.

A nice tweet from Toto on behalf of Mercedes too.

The Autosport article.

One of the doctors who operated on three-time Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda says he is making good progress in a Vienna hospital after his lung transplant on Thursday.

Lauda underwent surgery in Austria after falling ill while on holiday in Ibiza. He was flown by private jet to the AKH Vienna hospital, where he remains in intensive care while he recovers from the surgery.

Dr Walter Klepetko, who is the hospital's head of thoracic surgery, told Austrian broadcaster ORF that "everything is currently going very well and we are very satisfied".

Klepetko said the usual recovery period for such a procedure is two to three weeks, but explained that 69-year-old Lauda's recovery period will be "a longer time" due to his age.

The hospital performs 120 lung transplants a year.

One aspect of Lauda's situation that Klepetko did clarify was that his fiery accident at the Nurburgring in 1976 had had no bearing on the decision to replace his lungs.

"One can absolutely assume that lung transplantation is not a late consequence of the fire accident," he said.

Mercedes released a statement from its F1 boss Toto Wolff on Twitter on Friday evening.

"Although we should enjoy the start of our summer holidays this evening, none of us at Mercedes will pretend that we feel happy - our thoughts are rather with Niki, Birgit and the Lauda family," said Wolff.

"The world knows Niki as an F1 legend with incredible power and resilience. For all of us at Mercedes he is our chairman, our mentor and our friend.

"We have missed him by our side in Hockenheim and Hungary, and can't wait to have him back with us.

"The recovery he faces is not a race. But I'm sure he will soon be telling every nurse and doctor that he has had enough of hospital.

"We wish him a safe and speedy recovery - in that order - and send all our positive energy to him and his family. I miss you my friend."

[Michkov]

The newspaper linked to is as tabloid as it gets, I wouldn't put much trust in their reporting.

From what I could gather from more reliable sources, Lauda developed a cold on Ibiza that developed into a lung infection. Things got worse and he was put on an external respirator for a about a week prior to getting a new set of lungs. And that's were most serious outlets leave it, I couldn't find much more than he is recuperating from the operation.

He'll be back in the car by Monza and loose to Hamilton by a point at the end of the season if history is anything to go by.

[Antonov]

This is obviously one of the more disgusting sources of info

https://www.bild.de/sport/motorsport/ni ... .bild.html

It says that Niki is in a medically induced coma, and that his new lungs come for Germany (for what it is worth).
There is also talk of him having had a heart attack earlier this year, leading to a by-pass operation. That will not have helped. Main thing is that the doctors are relatively pleased with Niki's condition and progress.

[erwin greven]

Source: Bild.de... That has and is always a disgusting source of info.

[Ian-S]

Disgusting doesn't necessarily mean wrong, besides isn't drug induced coma normal for lung transplant recovery?