By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
The primary Hadassah University Medical Center neurosurgeon who has performed three operations on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Saturday that while he is still in serious condition, the chances that he will survive are "very high. He is a very strong man, and he is getting the best care," said Dr. Jose Cohen.
Asked how he felt with the prime minister's life in his hands, the 39-year-old, Argentinian-born Cohen -- who moved to Israel only four years ago -- told reporters he had never met Sharon before he arrived at the Ein Kerem hospital. "If you give everything as a surgeon and realize that everything depends on you, you feel responsible.
I have seen him respirated in an induced coma, but he is still the prime minister. He is a true fighter. I admire him more every day."
As for how much of his cognitive and motor abilities would remain if Sharon survives, Cohen said it was impossible to predict, as each patient is different and the prognosis depends on what specific parts of the brain have been harmed and how much function can be recovered.