North Melbourne Kangaroos player Paul Curtis recovering from life-saving surgery after emergency dash from Bali

North Melbourne forward Paul Curtis is recovering from life-saving lung surgery after making an emergency move following his post-season break in Bali.

Curtis had boarded a 17-hour flight from London to Bali on antibiotics prescribed in the UK when he was admitted to hospital with pneumonia following a holiday with his Kangaroos team-mates in October.

He arrived in Bali for a meeting with his partner Kelera with serious concerns about his health after his face was swollen and antibiotics failed to solve the problem.

Seven News reported on Sunday that his face and feet were swollen and his body was covered in a rash when he got off the ship.

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Curtis contacted North Melbourne club doctor Kendall Brooks, who arranged for him to be examined in Bali and was diagnosed with empyema, a condition caused by the accumulation of pus around the lungs.

Because the condition was life-threatening, Brooks immediately arranged for Curtis to be medically evacuated from Bali for emergency surgery at Hollywood Hills hospital in Perth.

He underwent surgery in Perth the morning after arriving, spent eight days in hospital and then had to remain in Western Australia until it was safe to fly home, with Brooks ensuring Curtis and his partner had appropriate care throughout his recovery.

“[This was] “It’s a serious, very serious, life-threatening disease and he could have died from it,” Clay Colledge told 7News.