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Itongadol.- Ariel Sharon remains in critical condition, the director general of Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, said Thursday morning, after the former prime minister\’s medical condition had significantly deteriorated.
"He has not undergone dialysis," Prof. Zeev Rotstein said, "He is still getting the same medical treatments he has been getting for years."
Sharon has been suffering in recent days from renal failure, sources said Wednesday, but was not expected to undergo dialysis due to the dangers the procedure could present given his fragile physical state.
"If there was a problem in just one organ, it would be a different story, but [Sharon] is suffering problems in a number of organs," Rotstein said.
Rotstein said Sharon\’s physical condition has not deteriorated further since Wednesday.
Sharon, 85, is hospitalized in Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv, and has been comatose since January 4, 2006 when he suffered a brain hemorrhage.
A source with knowledge of Sharon\’s condition said Wednesday that if his health continues to deteriorate, it would be "a matter of days" until he passes away. The source said that Sharon\’s family is currently by his bed and holding consultations with medical staff.
Sharon has been comatose in the hospital for the past eight years. He has been getting medical care, and receiving fluids through a feeding tube.
Last September, Sharon underwent abdominal surgery to correct a problem in his intravenous feeding system. The operation, which lasted an hour, was planned several months prior.
In January, neurological scans demonstrated significant brain activity in Sharon\’s brain. During the two-hour fMRI scan conducted, researchers tested Sharon\’s response to various stimuli: family pictures, a recording of his son\’s voice, and human touch.
They said they were surprised to discover significant activity in relevant parts of his brain in response to all tests.