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CNN Live At Daybreak

Girlfriend of Man Killed by Shark Attack Still in Critical Condition

Aired September 05, 2001 - 07:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: In Norfolk, Virginia a 23-year-old woman hospitalized in critical condition, the victim of that shark attack. Her 27-year-old fiance was killed in the attack off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. And joining us from Norfolk is trauma surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Riblet, who operated on the injured woman. Dr. Riblet, good to speak with you again.

DR. JEFFREY RIBLET, TRAUMA SURGEON, SENTARA NORFOLK HOSPITAL: Good morning, Vince. How are you?

CELLINI: Good morning to you. I'm well, thank you.

Now, these are extensive injuries. You said they were bites to the bone. I wonder if you could again review the extent of the damage and her status at the moment.

RIBLET: Well, I'm pleased to report that she's done very well overnight. A review of her status is that she had an extensive bite to her left buttock and hip with a large amount of tissue loss in that area. She also was missing her left foot. We, the night that she came in, we took her to the operating room and washed those out. One of my partners, Dr. Leonard Wyrider (ph), took her last evening to the, back to the operating room, washed her wounds out again. We were both able to see the extent of her wounds again very nicely. They are nice and clean and without infection and we were very pleased at her progress.

CELLINI: Those are all good signs.

RIBLET: Overnight she's been -- yes, indeed. Overall last night she did very well and this morning we're planning to get her breathing tube out and get her off the ventilator. So I think things are progressing very nicely for her at this point.

CELLINI: Great to hear. Now, I wonder if you can share what conversation, if any, you've had with the young lady.

RIBLET: Well, we've really not been able to talk with her very much because of her breathing tube being in her lungs and she's been heavily sedated. So this morning I was able to talk with her a little bit. She was able to nod, tell me that she wasn't hurting, tell me that she was certainly ready for that tube to be out of her throat. And so I think this thing shows good sign for her. She's really progressing nicely.

CELLINI: Now, can you tell us not only it's the loss of limb and tissue, but maybe some long-term problems that she could be facing.

RIBLET: Well, I think her major hurdle at this point besides the immediate risk of infection and how we're going to close these wounds really is at some point she'll have to start her rehabilitation program. One of our major concerns is how her leg is going to work and function. This is a real concern in that it will determine how her rehabilitation goes. We'd like her leg to be functional and be able to bear her weight so that any prosthesis that we're able to get her will be useful to her.

We really don't know the extent of the functionality of her leg at this point, but that will be something in the days to come that we'll be able to assess.

CELLINI: All right, Dr. Jeffrey Riblet, great work. And, again, thank you for your time. I know it's been a very, very hectic few days for you. Thank you.

RIBLET: Yes, it has.

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