ROME- A doctor in Aosta used a CAT scan after hours to save his cat, who had fallen six stories from his apartment building.

 Dr. Fanelli works in radiology and interventional neuroradiology at the Parini Regional Hospital in Aosta. After there were no more appointments scheduled on Jan. 27, Fanelli used a CAT scan to save his cat, Athena, who was “between life and death.”

 Athena had fallen six stories from his apartment roof but through the CAT scan and drainage, Fanelli was able to save his cat’s life. The Aosta Valley Health Authority is investigating Fanelli’s use of equipment after hours. He responded to the investigation and said he will compensate for any financial damage caused.

 Dr. Fanelli wrote, "By profession, I am an interventional radiologist, and I knew I could save her only with timely intervention. At a time when the three CAT scans were not in service, after 8 pm on Monday 27 January, when the tests scheduled for the day were finished and all the diagnostic machines were waiting to perform any urgent tests, having verified that there were no patients and, obviously, not clocking in, I decided to check what her condition was and what I could possibly do to save her".

 The cat’s injuries were extensive with, “posterior fractures, detachment of at least one of the two lungs with a suspected pneumothorax and possible lesions of the internal organs".

 Fanelli described the tense process to save Athena, “I performed a few seconds of radiological examination using one of the three CAT scans and, having thus assessed the seriousness of the pneumothorax, I then performed the drainage, finally and immediately allowing her to breathe: from that moment on, the cat started breathing again and gradually recovered".

 Athena is one of five cats the Doctor has rescued from the street and cares for, “all of them have been found on the streets and saved from extreme conditions.”

 Fanelli wrote that he would not forgive himself if he didn’t try to save her, “If I hadn't done everything I could, since I am an interventional radiologist who is therefore used to making immediate decisions to save lives and my cat had died, I would never have been able to forgive myself, even for my children who adore her". 

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