Zanardi returns to intensive care after third operation

Alex Zanardi has undergone a third operation on the head and facial injuries he suffered last month.

The Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital in Siena confirmed the 53-year-old spent five hours having surgery “aimed at cranio-facial reconstruction and stabilisation of the areas affected by the trauma” following his crash on June 19th. Zanardi collided with a truck while participating in a handbike event on public roads.

The director of the hospital’s maxillofacial surgery unit, Professor Paolo Gennaro, said Zanardi’s fractures were “complex”.

“This required careful programming that made use of computerised, digital and three-dimensional technologies made to measure for the patient,” he added. “The complexity of the case was rather singular, even if it is a type of fracture that we routinely face in our centre.”

Zanardi’s condition is otherwise unchanged, the hospital reported. His neurological condition is severe and he remains sedated on a mechanical ventilator in the ICU. His prognosis is confidential, and further updates will only be issued in the event of significant changes in his condition.

Ferrari paid tribute to the ex-F1 driver, two-times CART IndyCar champion and four-times Paralymic gold medallist in last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, racing with the message ‘Forza Alex’ on their cars.

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