Recovering Bills safety Damar Hamlin remains in a Buffalo hospital for further testing Tuesday but is expected to be released within the next day or two.
Doctors at Buffalo General Medical Center are conducting tests to find out the root cause of Hamlin’s cardiac arrest during the Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, including whether pre-existing conditions contributed.
Michael Hughes, senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Kaleida Health, which operates the medical center, told CNN that Hamlin is healthy enough to leave the facility within 48 hours.
“Hamlin is going through a series of testing and evaluation today,” Buffalo’s Kaleida Health said in a statement Tuesday.
Hamlin’s medical team will also “potentially treat any pathology that may be found, as well as plan for his recovery, discharge and rehabilitation.”
The Bills in a statement said Hamlin is in “good spirits,” and head coach Sean McDermott said he briefly saw Hamlin earlier Tuesday.
“(Hamlin’s) just very tired but he seems happy and happy to be back in Buffalo and around a familiar area to him,” McDermott said.
“What a blessing, just incredible progress that he’s made and incredible care that he’s been under, both in Cincinnati and now here. So we’re just very thankful for that,” McDermott added. “Just thankful that Damar is back and resting in Buffalo here.”
Hamlin also tweeted out an update Tuesday — “not quite home yet.”
Not home quite just yet??????. Still doing & passing a bunch of test. Special thank-you to Buffalo General it’s been nothing but love since arrival! Keep me in y’all prayers please! #3strong
— ?????????? ???????????? (@HamlinIsland) January 10, 2023
Hamlin was released from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and flown back to Buffalo on Monday. Hamlin’s medical team in Cincinnati said the 24-year-old passed every test in his seven days there.
The 24-year-old recovered rapidly, advancing from a ventilator to communicating via written message, then breathing on his own, talking to family, doctors and teammates, and over the weekend began walking and consuming a regular diet, UCMC announced.
Life-saving procedures performed by Bills trainers on the field in Cincinnati during the first quarter of last Monday’s game helped Hamlin reach intensive care at UCMC last week. He required CPR and use of a defibrillator moments after making a tackle with 5:58 left in the first quarter.
Hamlin’s uncle said medical personnel needed to resuscitate Hamlin twice — once at the stadium and again at the hospital — but concerns about brain function and faculties were dismissed by Wednesday morning. Hamlin began responding to verbal commands by squeezing the hands of doctors and loved ones, but he was still listed in critical condition.
UCMC’s medical team gradually reduced the use of breathing aids as Hamlin’s lung strength and capacity improved. By the end of the week, Hamlin was communicating with his Bills’ teammates and talked in person with several friends and former teammates, including Eagles running back Miles Sanders and Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd.
–Field Level Media