Game addiction almost cost boy his leg

A 15-year-old high school student would have lost his leg if not for the timely intervention of surgeons after a blood clot formed in his leg due to spending hours playing video games. Sinan Can Demir from Antalya in southern Turkey said he spent up to six hours every day during the summer break playing games before he was unable to move his leg. As his leg swelled and gave him immense pain, Demir was taken to the hospital where doctors diagnosed him with deep vein thrombosis, a condition from a blood clot that mostly occurs in the lower leg or thigh and is common in people who do not move for a long time.

The boy was limping when he was admitted to the hospital where Dr. Birkan Akbulut operated on him. "Unfortunately, young people spent too much time in front of computers. They ought to be spending more time outdoors; they should move more often," Akbulut told reporters in a press statement with the young patient. "I never played any sports, and I was at home most of the time during the break playing games. I was addicted and did not know how long I played. After a while, I couldn't walk," Demir said after the surgery. The boy said he wouldn't quit playing but would play less and do more physical exercises.