Bobbi Kristina Brown Update: Doctor Gives Facts On Medical Condition

After the recent conflicting stories regarding Bobbi Kristina Brown, who remains in an Atlanta area hospital, a renowned doctor spoke out on Monday about the young star’s condition. While her father recently said she was awake, families members on the Houston side said that her condition has not changed. It seems that both sides of the family may have been correct.

Although he hasn’t personally treated her, neuro-critical care specialist Dr. Subhashini Ramesh is certainly an expert in the medical condition that Bobbi Kristina currently faces. People reports that the Dr. Ramesh, an assistant professor of neurology at Augusta’s Georgia Regents University, explained what the reality star is up against, at least medically, and what her family, fans, and supporters should prepare for in the future.

According to Cissy Houston, Bobbi Kristina’s maternal grandmother, the reality star has sustained “global and irreversible brain damage.” Although most people understand that this condition is detrimental, Dr. Ramesh explains the injury in more detail, stating that although Bobbi Kristina may be awake, as indicated by her father Bobby Brown’s surprising announcement at his Dallas, Texas concert, it doesn’t mean that she is aware of her surroundings.

While Bobbi Kristina may be able to open her eyes, global brain damage suggests that her motor movement is gone, meaning she can’t move her eyes, use her voice, or use her muscles. Per Dr. Ramish, once a patient has brain damage that cannot be reversed, the chances of a substantial recovery are extremely slim.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Bobbi Kristina will not make it. It does mean, however, that she will more than likely never be the same person as she once was. Dr. Ramish explains that artificial life support has saved lives that otherwise wouldn’t have been saved only 30 years ago. Yet, there is no medicine that can undo irreversible brain damage.

Another point of confusion came from the status of Bobbi Kristina’s coma. Whereas Cissy Houston indicated that Bobbi was no longer in a “medically-induced coma,” it doesn’t mean that she’s emerged and is and is recovering. Removal from a medically-induced coma simply means that she was taken off sedative medication.

Bobbi Kristina continues to remain unresponsive, according to her grandmother. Dr. Ramish suggests that this probably means that the 22-year-old is in a vegetative state.

“In a vegetative state, you can be still be wakeful but have no awareness. Your eyes may open but you remain unaware of yourself and your environment. That’s possibly what [Bobbi Kristina] is. There is an absence of any sign of conscious perception. If it goes on for more than three months, it’s called a permanent vegetative state.”

A vegetative state can last for numerous years, sometimes even a lifetime, which poses the question of what Bobbi Kristina’s future will look like if she cannot walk, talk, move, or ever become aware of her surroundings.

While hospice is generally a choice of some families, it will ultimately come down to what Bobby Brown decides. The only way the decision leaves the family’s hands is if Bobbi Kristina becomes brain dead. Dr. Ramish explains, that by law, the life support system is unplugged once a patient is pronounced brain dead.

Bobby Brown received much criticism for announcing to a crowd that his daughter was awake and watching over him. His attorney released a statement earlier this week, explaining that Bobbi Kristina can still have a long life. However, it probably will not be the same kind of life she previously had.

Meanwhile, the details surrounding exactly what happened to Bobbi Kristina Brown on January 31 are still not fully uncovered. Drugs are said play a factor in her condition, and Georgia’s Roswell Police Department continue to treat the situation as a criminal case. Nick Gordon, Bobbi Kristina’s boyfriend, remains under investigation.

[Photo Courtesy of Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images and Bobby Brown/Facebook]