Tucson Hockey Player Credits Medical Staff, Advanced Technology For Lifesaving Care

By Sara Hammond
Published: Wednesday, December 21, 2016 - 4:08pm
Updated: Friday, January 20, 2017 - 12:16pm
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(Photo by Sara Hammond - AZPM)
Dr. Zain Khalpey presents Tucson Roadrunners captain Craig Cunningham with an autographed hockey stick from hospital staff. Watching are his mother, Heather Cunningham, and Dr. Reza Mohaved of St. Mary’s Hospital.

A team of first responders, his own hockey club and a hospital collaboration are credited with saving the life of Tucson Roadrunners team captain Craig Cunningham after he collapsed on the ice before the start of a hockey game last month.

Cunningham made his first public appearance Wednesday at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson where he has been treated since his heart stopped just before the puck dropped Nov. 19.

Seated in a wheelchair with his mother at his side, the 26-year-old Cunningham thanked those who attended to him, from his initial assessment at the hockey arena to treatment at St. Mary’s Hospital and his month-long stay at UMC.

He acknowledges his hockey career may be over.

“As of right now, I think I am probably done, but we’ll see when I get back from rehab how it goes,” Cunningham said. “But as of right now, you know, at the level I was playing at, I don’t know if I’ll ever get back to playing pro, but anything can happen.”

UMC heart-lung surgeon Dr. Zain Khalpey said what caused Cunningham’s heart failure — on the ice in front of players and fans — is still a mystery.

“He went into ventricular fibrillation, which causes heart to stop and the CPR needed to commence, so there’s a lot of reasons for it we still don’t know,” Khalpey said. The player was treated with chest-compression-only CPR until arriving at the hospital.

Khalpey said hospital staff applied advanced lifesaving technology and tailored methods of care to Cunningham’s case, which has aided in his recovery.

In a statement UMC said an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation procedure was used, which is a specialized procedure for patients with life-threatening conditions. It oxygenates blood in place of the lungs while supporting heart function.

Cunningham is expected to be discharged to a rehabilitation facility before Christmas. The Roadrunners are the minor-league affiliate team of the Arizona Coyotes.

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