The boy’s head was “almost completely detached from the base of his neck.”
In what is being dubbed a “miracle”, doctors in Israel performed an extremely unusual and complicated surgery on a 12-year-boy where they reattached his head to his neck after he was hit by a car while riding a bicycle, as per a report in The Times of Israel.
Suleiman Hassan suffered an “internal decapitation”, where his skull detached from the top vertebrae of his spine after a car accident, as per the outlet. The condition is scientifically known as a bilateral atlanto occipital joint dislocation.
After the accident, the boy was airlifted to Hadassah Medical Center, where he was sent for emergency surgery. As per the doctors, his head was “almost completely detached from the base of his neck.”
Dr Ohad Einav, the orthopaedic surgeon who oversaw the treatment, told The Times of Israel that it took several hours and necessitated the placement of “new plates and fixations in the damaged area. “Our ability to save the child was thanks to our knowledge and the most innovative technology in the operating room,” he said, adding that the team “fought for the boy’s life.” The surgeons also believe that his recovery was no less than a miracle as the boy only had a 50 per cent chance of survival.
The procedure took place last month, however, the doctors didn’t make the results public until July. Mr Hassan was recently discharged from the hospital with a cervical splint and the hospital stated that they will continue to monitor his recovery.
“The fact that such a child has no neurological deficits or sensory or motor dysfunction and that he is functioning normally and walking without an aid after such a long process is no small thing,” Dr Einav told the outlet.
He also added that the extremely rare surgery needs specialised doctors, adding that the “large size of a child’s head relative to an adult means they are more susceptible.” “This is not a common surgery at all, and especially not on children and teens. A surgeon needs knowledge and experience to do this,” he said.
The boy’s father did not leave his son at any moment. He thanked the hospital staff for saving “his only son”. “Thanks to you he regained his life even when the odds were low and the danger was obvious. What saved him were professionalism, technology and quick decision-making by the trauma and orthopaedics team. All I can say is a big thank you,” he told the medical staff, as per the outlet.