Atlanta 1/13/2012 5:15:46 AM
News / People

Critically Injured Sarah Burke Undergoes Surgery

X Games champ Sarah Burke remains in critical condition in a medically induced coma after undergoing surgery on a torn vertebral artery that caused bleeding in her brain. The neurosurgeon who performed the operation the University of Utah Health Center said it is too soon to make a prognosis on Burke’s recovery.

"With injuries of this type, we need to observe the course of her brain function before making definitive pronouncements about Sarah's prognosis for recovery," Dr. William Couldwell said in a statement released by Burke's publicist.

Burke sustained the head injury Tuesday in a ski accident in Park City, Utah. The 29-year-old, who has won four gold medals for skiing at the Winter X Games, was training when she fell doing a trick on a superpipe. Peter Judge, the CEO of the Canadian freestyle team, said Burke appeared to have “bounced from her feet to her head” after landing the trick.

Burke’s husband, skier Rory Bushfield, said earlier he is confident she will recover. “Sarah is a very strong young woman and she will most certainly fight to recover,” he said.

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