In a remarkable medical triumph, a team of skilled surgeons at a private hospital successfully reattached a 22-year-old man’s left ear after his pet pit bull viciously bit it off. The gruesome injury left the ear dangling by a fragile 2mm strip of skin, with no blood circulation.
In a remarkable medical triumph, a team of skilled surgeons at a private hospital successfully reattached a 22-year-old man’s left ear after his pet pit bull viciously bit it off. The gruesome injury left the ear dangling by a fragile 2mm strip of skin, with no blood circulation.
The delicate 11-hour microsurgical procedure, performed at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, was nothing short of a medical marvel. "The complex surgical procedure not only restored the young man's physical appearance but also helped him regain his confidence," said the doctors who performed the intricate operation, according to a report by Times of India.
Hailing from Faridabad, the patient was rushed to the hospital’s emergency room immediately after the incident. The medical team’s top priority was to restore blood flow to the severed ear, as any further delay could have jeopardized its survival.
Dr. Mohit Sharma, head of plastic and reconstructive surgery, detailed the complexity of the procedure: "The vessels of the ear are extremely small, measuring less than 0.5mm. This, combined with the fact that the vessels were torn and not clean cut, made the surgery especially challenging." The medical team had to harvest a small segment of vein from another part of the patient’s body to replace the damaged artery and vein, ultimately revascularizing the ear.
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The precision needed was immense, requiring a 40X magnification microscope and ultra-fine microsurgical tools to stitch together the tiny blood vessels. Over the course of two surgeries—one lasting six hours and the other five—Dr. Sharma and his team painstakingly worked to save the ear.
In addition to the challenging replantation, the doctors were vigilant about preventing infection. The patient was promptly given anti-rabies immunoglobulin and intravenous antibiotics to ward off any potential complications.
Senior consultant Dr. Devajyoti Guin emphasized the difficulty of reattaching such small arteries and veins: "The initial branch we connected wasn't supplying enough blood, so we had to perform the arterial anastomosis again on a better branch." Even after the ear was successfully revascularized, it required constant monitoring to ensure proper drainage of the veins. Heparin drips were used to prevent clotting and ensure smooth recovery.
The young man spent eight days under close observation in the hospital. Upon his discharge, doctors confirmed that the ear had successfully undergone complete revascularization and was now viable.
Grateful and emotional, the patient shared, "Getting my ear back feels like getting a part of myself back. I was terrified that I would be disfigured for life, but the doctors at Amrita Hospital made sure that didn't happen. I am so grateful for the care and expertise they provided."