Angela Magana announced the surgery on Twitter, and even posted a video of herself sharing her concerns with someone she identified as the anesthesiologist because, as she explained, she had ‘never been under’
Mixed Martial Arts fighter Angela Magana is now out of a coma following complications from anesthesia suffered during spinal surgery in her native Puerto Rico.
Her coach, Gabriel Lamastus, told MMA Junkie on Thursday that ‘Angela is responding to the treatment and is waking up.’
‘We are over joyed (sic). She has been in and out of it.’
Ahead of her scheduled April 26 fight, former UFC strawweight fighter was diagnosed on Tuesday with cauda equina syndrome, which involves nerve damage below the end of the spinal cord.
She underwent surgery on Tuesday, but while the procedure itself went as expected, she did experience problems with the anesthesia and was left in a coma.
On Wednesday night, Lamastus posted a video explaining her situation on Twitter: ‘She’s been having a slow recovery. She’s been moving her hands and she’s been opening and closing her eyes. So we’re positive she’s going to get healthy soon.’
Magana announced the surgery on Twitter, and even posted a video of herself sharing her concerns with someone she identified as the anesthesiologist because, as she explained, she had ‘never been under.’
‘I’m usually very positive about everything,’ Magana, who was wearing a surgical gown and cap, said in the video prior to surgery. ‘It’s just [that I have] never been under.
‘Keep it positive,’ the anesthesiologist replies.
‘I feel like I’m going to not wake up and die after this,’ she said.
‘You’re going to wake up,’ he said, reassuring her. ‘Come on.’
A former UFC star, Magana (left) was preparing for an April 26 fight when she herniated a disc
This is not the first coma Angela Magana has suffered. According to a Fox Sports report from 2014, Magana suffered two significant auto accidents – one of which left her unconscious for several days — and she also suffered a broken back in 2007 after falling down some stairs.
Magana suffered a herniated disc while training for her April 26 bout against Kyra Batara. She initially tried to train through the pain, taking medication and a nerve blocker, but as her coaches explained to MMA Junkie, that caused a neurological disorder.
She was ultimately diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome, in which a bundle of nerves below the spinal cord becomes damaged.
Via Magana’s Twitter account, her coaching staff announced on Tuesday evening that she still had not awoken from surgery.
On Wednesday afternoon – roughly 26 hours after Magana went in for surgery – Lamastus explained the situation to MMA Junkie.
‘She’s in a coma, and we’re waiting to hear some positive news,’ Lamastus told MMA Junkie. ‘The surgery went fine. The problem was anesthesia. It’s very rare that patients react bad to anesthesia, but it does happen, and I guess this is one of those rare cases. But I’m being positive. She’ll be fine, and she’ll wake up. She’s a fighter. I’m just staying positive.’
Anesthesia complications are rare, and only one in roughly 200,000 patients die from it, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
However, Lamastus told MMA Junkie that Magana’s aunt actually died from such complications with anesthesia.
Lamastus had been aiming to wrestle at the 2020 Olympics for Puerto Rico.
Magana has lost her last six matches and is now 11-10 in her MMA career.
Magana has lost her last six matches and is now 11-10 in her MMA career