Vall d'Hebron Hospital's 24-Hour Spinal Injury Program Shows Success

The specialized unit has operated on 84% of patients within 24 hours, significantly reducing ICU stays.

Generic image of a rescue helicopter in a mountainous area.
IA

Generic image of a rescue helicopter in a mountainous area.

The Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona has successfully treated 136 patients over two years through its pioneering 24-hour emergency spinal injury program.

The multidisciplinary team has managed to operate on 84% of urgent cases within the first day. Mercè Bosch, who suffered an accident in Vall d'Aran, was one of the patients benefited by this rapid response after being airlifted from Vielha.

"We were not wrong."

María José Abadías · Care Director at Vall d'Hebron
The program has reduced ICU stays to an average of 3.3 days. The medical team, consisting of eight specialists including surgeons and anesthesiologists, focuses on decompressing and stabilizing the spinal cord as quickly as possible to improve long-term outcomes.