WITH MICROSURGERY, IRAQI TOT ENTERS NEW ’FACE’ OF LIFE

A one-year-old baby from Iraq entered a new phase of life after a city-based micro surgeon successfully performed a complex reconstructive surgery for a facial defect she had since she was a month old. The infant had a complex vascular malformation on her face, resulting in swelling due to excessive or abnormal development of blood vessels.

Baby Raimas Alzahayawat, was one month old, when her mother noticed the swelling on the left of her face. Ever since, her family began running from pillar to post to find a solution. “When Raimas was six months old, she underwent injection treatment (sclerotherapy) at a local hospital, but it did not

give her much relief. After the treatment, the skin over the swelling became fragile and my child had 2-3 episodes of severe bleeding from the lesion,” said Montasir, her mother.

Besides, the baby would always be crying and refuse to eat. The family was distraught but they were unable to find any good treatment in their locality. Later, the baby was referred to Global Hospital,

Parel, in July, where Dr Nilesh Satbhai performed the complex surgery to remove (excise) the vascular malformation and reconstruct the large soft tissue over the face.

Dr Satbhai, consultant plastic and reconstructive microsurgeon, said after studying her clinical assessment thoroughly, they performed a CT scan with angiography and also a DSA (digital subtraction angiography). This helped in detailed analysis of the vascular malformation and also gauge the extent of the lesion. There was a large vascular malformation over the left side of the face (involving the left cheek, angle of mouth, part of upper and lower lip, extending up to the nose and orbital margin).

“Pre-operative embolisation was carried out to block the abnormal and enlarged blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the lesion to cut the risk of excessive blood loss during the surgery. Complete excision of the vascular malformation was challenging. Using a skin flap, the soft tissue defect was covered. The post-operative course was uneventful and the kid was discharged after a week. She is doing well and all the wounds have healed now,” he said.