Beijing Olympic Judo Champion Reveals He Was Prepared for Death After a Medical Mishap
Revealing the medical trouble
He could move only his eyes and fingers.
With an oxygen inhaler attached and an IV drip running, Satoshi Ishii (38)—Beijing Olympic judo gold medalist and current MMA fighter—says that in those days he was constantly aware of death.
“It all started with a cervical disc herniation. I wanted to take care of it before my next fight.”
This happened in July of last year. However, the doctor who had previously treated his herniated disc with laser procedures had retired, and Ishii needed to find a successor. His search led him to Dr. A, a well-known laser-treatment specialist in Nagoya who had authored books and frequently appeared in the media.
“On July 24, I underwent a procedure called percutaneous laser disc decompression. But when they gave me the anesthetic before the surgery, something felt wrong.
The next day, when I returned to my family home in Osaka, I was hit with severe nausea and fever—I could barely walk. At a clinic run by an acquaintance, I was told, ‘This may be an infection. You need to contact the doctor who operated on you immediately.’ So I went back to Nagoya.”
Ishii pressed Dr. A, asking if it might be an infection, but the doctor dismissed the concern, saying, “It’s normal for the area to feel hot after laser surgery.”
“I kept going to Dr. A for several days, but my condition only got worse. My entire body hurt. I felt exhausted. My fever kept rising. I felt, ‘This is really bad.’ Barely able to stand, I searched online for a well-regarded hospital and went to Aichi Sebone Hospital. I was diagnosed with purulent discitis and admitted on the spot. It was seven days after the laser surgery. They immediately started antibiotics, and I underwent two additional surgeries for incision and drainage.”
In late August, after being discharged, Ishii met with Dr. A. When he explained the whole series of events, Dr. A offered to refund the surgery fee and pay for Ishii’s treatment at Aichi Sebone Hospital.
“I still see Dr. A on TV sometimes. Every time I do, I think: ‘Patients have to learn about their own bodies, symptoms, and treatment options. You can’t just leave everything to the doctor.’ I went through something unbearably painful—but if my experience can help someone, that’s at least some small comfort.”
The FRIDAY November 14/21 double issue (released October 31), as well as the paid edition FRIDAY GOLD, includes detailed coverage of the doubts Ishii had during surgery, the points experts labeled inappropriate, and Dr. A’s own explanation.
From the November 14-21, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”
