A leading private hospital in New Delhi on May 25 presented three complex medical cases, including an Iraqi patient who suffered from jaw tumour, to showcase innovations in the field of reconstructive plastic surgery.

At a press conference, Max Institute of Reconstructive Aesthetic Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery (MIRACLES), part of the Max Healthcare Group, highlighted the three cases. Three patients, aged between 8and 53 years, who had undergone complex reconstructive surgical procedures, shared their experiences. The 8-year old had suffered accidental burns about four years ago. He had survived the ordeal, however, his chin had become attached to his abdomen, he had no neck and his arms were plastered to the chest wall, doctors said.

Post local anaesthesia administration, Dr Sunil Choudhary, Senior Director and Chief of Plastic Surgery, MIRACLES, along with his team, had carried out a "nine-hour complex surgery" to release his face from abdomen, transplant thigh tissue to recreate complete neck with microsurgery and all chest and arms reconstructed with meshed skin grafts for expanding area of coverage, the hospital said in a statement.

The other case was that of a 14-year-old girl, who had undergone a terrible road accident on her way back from school in 2013. Her right arm and hand had got badly crushed under a truck, for which the MIRACLES department planned and performed multiple reconstructions over two years, it said.

Dr Choudhary said, We want to educate people about the real plastic surgery which is complex and a scientifically validated art, proven to enrich and transform a patient's life. Reconstructive plastic surgery with its wonderful innovations of microsurgery, tissue expansion, breast reconstruction and advanced wound healing techniques and technologies have revolutionised management of cancer, trauma and birth defects."

Fifty-three-year-old Mohammad from Iraq had developed jaw tumour six months ago and had undergone reconstructive surgery to remove his lower jaw in Tehran using a collar bone and plate, however it had been "unsuccessful", the hospital said. "We were horrified to see dead bone and a large metal plate protruding under his tongue... At Max, a new jaw was crafted from his leg bone, assisted by 3D printed model and then transplanted into his face with microsurgery, which at times involved administering stitches less than 1mm (tinier than the diameter of a human hair)," the doctor said.