Complex reconstruction surgery successfully done at city hospital

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: In a series of rare and complex surgeries performed, Fortis hospital successfully reconstructed the genitalia of a 12-year old Nigerian boy who had lost his external genitalia in a road accident six years ago in the city. The boy was a victim of multiple body injuries and had undergone amputation of his entire penis and right testes, owing to the major accident.

Since then he has been unable to pass urine normally and has been living with a catheter. He was even going to school with it. A multidisciplinary team of doctors at Fortis Hospital have successfully reconstructed his genitalia and the patient was discharged after 10 days of the surgery.

When the patient visited Fortis Bannerghatta, he was on a urethral catheter, had a weak bladder with less urine holding capacity which resulted in incontinence between routine catheterizations. He also had a history of two haemorrhages from damaged femoral blood vessels (blood vessels supplying blood to the lower body).

While the doctors at his hometown managed the haemorrhages nonoperatively, they could not conduct surgical reconstruction of the external genitalia, due to unavailability of the medical infrastructure, post which he was referred to Fortis Bannerghatta Road.

Once the necessary medical assessments were conducted, the team of doctors decided to perform the surgery in 3 stages. Stage 3 could be carried out only post 6 months of completion of stage 1 and 2, hospital sources informed.

The boy's urethral catheter was removed after the reconstructive surgery. He is currently doing well and has returned to his country. He will be coming back after 6 months for the third stage of surgery.

“Fortis Hospital Bannerghatta Road is known for handling complex cases. This was a critical and unique case which came to us; the team here after necessary assessments, devised a proper approach for a two-stage surgery and successfully carried it out,” Akshay Oleti, representing Fortis Hospitals said,