Following a successful procedure for a defibrillator implant, Denmark international Christian Eriksen was released from the hospital on Friday. After suffering a heart attack in the first half of his side's 1-0 Euro 2020 Group B loss to Finland last Saturday evening, the midfielder had to be brought back to life at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.
"Christian Eriksen has been through a successful operation and was today discharged from Rigshospitalet. Today he also visited the national team in Helsinger and from there he will go home and spend time with his family," said an official statement by the Danish Football Federation on Twitter.
"Thank you for the massive number of greetings, it has been incredible to see and feel. The operation went well and I am doing well under the circumstances. It was great to see the guys again after the fantastic game they played last night. No need to say that I will be cheering them on Monday against Russia," the 29-year-old also his say in the dual statement.
Christian Eriksen discharged from hospital: What does it mean for Denmark?
Several tests were done on the Danish star during his hospital stay to determine the reason for his cardiac arrest last Saturday, and he was equipped with an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) on Thursday, as confirmed by the team doctor Morten Boesen. When he left the hospital, he was in high spirits, thanking supporters and the larger footballing community for their support.
An ICD, according to the British Heart Foundation, is a tiny device that is implanted beneath the skin to monitor heart rhythm. It is attached to the heart by tiny cables and can control irregular cardiac rhythms using electrical shocks. The Danish FA also stated that the player had visited his teammates and would now travel home to his family.
Players of both Denmark and Belgium stopped the play in the 10th minute of the Group B clash, as the stadium was unified with applause. A big jersey with the name and number of Eriksen was unveiled before the match, whilst the Belgian supporters in the stands were carrying banners and individual messages with support for the midfielder.
Christian Eriksen discharged from hospital: What does it mean for Inter?
Christian Eriksen's future at Inter remains up in the air at the moment. His Serie A future doesn't depend on the device, but on its purpose, says Carlo Tranquilli, an Italian sports medicine expert. “It is dependent on the diagnosis to say how long Eriksen will have to wear this device. It will be necessary to determine, for example, whether they implant it only as a precaution, or for other reasons. But I repeat, this will depend on the actual diagnosis of what led Eriksen’s heart to stop beating - for that, it will take genetic tests," claims Tranquilli.
It is prohibited in Italy to play with an implanted defibrillator, as per the protocol modified in 2017 by the Sports Fitness Cardiological Organizational Committee. However, in other European leagues, such as the Dutch Eredivisie, the German Bundesliga, the Spanish La Liga, or the English Premier League, it's no problem. Daley Blind of Ajax and the Netherlands is an example since the Dutch center-back had a heart starter installed after being diagnosed with heart muscle inflammation.
Italian authorities do not permit any contact sport with an implanted cardiac defibrillator as any contact could potentially damage or rupture the device. However, Eriksen might have a chance to return to continue to play in Serie A in case the ICD is not permanent, but he would have to go through a complex process of various medical examinations to obtain the authorization.
