Doctors Reduce Seizure Medication For Beaten Giants Fan
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - Bryan Stow, the San Francisco Giants fan who was badly beaten outside Dodger Stadium in March, is opening his eyes but remains in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital.
Chief neurosurgeon Dr. Geoff Manley said Wednesday that the 42-year-old Stow has been weaned off of one of five anti-seizure medications since arriving earlier this week from a Los Angeles hospital.
He said Stow's brain showed no seizure activity during 30 hours of continuous monitoring after the one medication was discontinued on Tuesday.
Manley said these developments were positive but he could not predict Stow's chances for recovery.
KCBS' Anna Duckworth Reports:
He said the short-term goal was to remove Stow from the remaining four medications to better assess damage to his brain.
Stow was placed in a medically induced coma after he was beaten by two drunken Dodger fans outside Dodger stadium after a Giants vs. Dodgers game on March 31.
Police said Stow was apparently targeted for wearing a Giants jersey at the game. No one has been arrested in the attack.
Stow was at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center until Monday, when he was flown to the Bay Area and brought to San Francisco General Hospital.
Since then, Manley said, Stow has been opening and closing his eyes and showing signs of primitive functions, as he was in Los Angeles. Stow is still considered to be in critical but stable condition.
Manley said it is hard to determine Stow's prognosis in part because much remains unknown about the brain.
"The more I've learned, the less we probably know," Manley said.
He said there are many mysteries surrounding brain injury, which he called "a great silent epidemic."
"Traumatic brain injury is where cancer was 40 or 50 years ago," Manley said.
He said San Francisco General treats many elderly patients with brain injuries, and that Stow's relatively young age is an advantage.
Manley said he was in regular contact with Stow's doctors in Los Angeles and consulted with them before taking Stow off the medication on Tuesday.
The Giants will play their first series at Dodger Stadium since Stow's attack starting Wednesday evening.
The Dodgers recently contributed $100,000 to the reward fund for information Stow's attackers, bringing the total to more than $200,000.
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