A Spanish second-division footballer's playing days appear to be over even though he's recovering favorably two days after suffering from cardiac arrest during a game.
Miguel Garcia, who suffered from cardiac arrest during a second-division game, left the intensive care ward of his local hospital Tuesday with ''absolutely normal'' vital signs and without indications of any complications, his club Salamanca said.
The 31-year-old Garcia, who will remain in hospital for several more days, collapsed during Sunday's match with Real Betis and medical staff revived him by using a defibrillator.
Garcia crumpled to the ground in the 61st minute as medical staff worked on him as weeping teammates watched on.
The former Zaragoza player is the latest in a string of similar Spanish football cases following the deaths of Sevilla's Antonio Puerta and Espanyol's Daniel Jarque due to heart-related problems in recent years.
Puerta, a 22-year-old budding Spain international, died soon after collapsing during a Spanish league match in 2007, while the 26-year-old Jarque collapsed and died in his hotel room during Espanyol's preseason tour of Italy last year.
Real Madrid's Ruben de la Red also had a heart problem during a game two years ago and never returned to play, while Sergio Sanchez underwent an operation earlier this year after doctors detected a condition in the Sevilla player's heart.
These cases are not uncommon, according to the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC), which says between 40-50 athletes under 35 die from cardiac arrest each year in Spain. An athlete's heart is much larger than a regular person's and the cardiac output is double so abnormalities are harder to detect.
But Puerta's case has also probably saved lives - including Garcia's - with defibrillators one of the key improvements in the topflight game.
''Puerta's case marked a before and after when it comes to medical issues with Spanish football clubs,'' Dr. Ignacio Fernandez Lozano, who leads the SEC's Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia department, said.
''Now all Spanish clubs are conscious of the dangers and realize how important it is to have their players undergo cardiovascular tests. It wasn't always like that.''
El Pais reported that Garcia's father had suffered a heart attack at roughly the same age, and genetics are an important factor since heavy physical activity can accelerate the traits in persons under 35, according to Fernandez Lozano.
Like fellow survivor De la Red, Fernandez Lozano said Garcia's sporting career was over.
Fernandez Lozano said other factors could also lead an athlete to suffer such an attack, including diabetes.
American swimmer Fran Crippen died at the age of 26 while competing in an open water race in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, while basketball has suffered from a string of related incidents including a Harford Community College player who collapsed during the first day of practice earlier this month.
The SEC said it had joined forces with Spain's sports ministry to try and find out why these cases were happening here.
''By 2020, a survey will be fully implemented by all sports federations in Spain,'' said Dr. Araceli Boraita, a sports cardiologist working for the ministry.
