Jerusalem Woman Recovers After 80-Day Medically Induced Coma for Rare Epilepsy
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Ariela Hershel, a 41-year-old Jerusalem resident, has recovered after being in a medically induced coma for over 80 days due to a rare epilepsy syndrome called FIRES. Doctors successfully treated her condition with a combination of anesthesia, medication, and a vagal nerve stimulator at Shaare Zedek Medical Center.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Jerusalem woman recovers after 80-day coma for rare FIRES syndrome.
- Ariela Hershel, 41, suffered severe seizures after returning from the U.S.
- Doctors induced a deep coma using isoflurane to control the seizures.
- Treatment included medication and a vagal nerve stimulator.
- She has regained speech and movement and is in rehabilitation.
Ariela Hershel, a 41-year-old mother of seven from Jerusalem, has recovered after a prolonged medically induced coma lasting over 80 days. Hershel returned to Israel from a vacation in the United States and began experiencing confusion and severe seizures. Initially suspected to be dehydration by her family, her condition rapidly worsened upon arrival at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, where she suffered intense epileptic fits.
Doctors diagnosed Hershel with FIRES syndrome, a rare neurological condition known as Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome. This syndrome, triggered by infection and fever, causes sudden, drug-resistant seizures. "It is such a rare syndrome that there are not even medical data on its rarity," explained Dr. Stefan Maussbach, head of the neurological intensive care unit at Shaare Zedek.
To halt the life-threatening seizures, Hershel was placed in a deep, medically induced coma. For approximately one month, doctors used isoflurane, an anesthetic typically used for short surgical procedures, to maintain the coma. Simultaneously, she received biological and autoimmune drug treatments under continuous EEG monitoring. A neurosurgical team, led by Dr. Gustavo Reis, implanted a vagal nerve stimulator to help reduce the frequency of seizures.
After more than 80 days, Hershel was safely brought out of the coma. Her husband, Yosef, described the experience as "very frightening" due to the escalating seizures. The medical team's extensive, multidisciplinary approach, involving neurology, epilepsy, infectious diseases, and hematology specialists, led to her gradual improvement.
Upon waking, Hershel began to move and speak almost immediately, with a significant reduction in seizure frequency. Now in active rehabilitation, Hershel, who immigrated from the U.S. 19 years ago, expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you for saving my life." Dr. Maussbach credited the hospital's experience with similar cases and early diagnosis for the successful outcome.
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