SEOUL; A six-year-old Kyrgyz boy who lost about 80 per cent of his scalp after being mauled by three large dogs has returned home after receiving reconstructive surgery in South Korea, Asan Medical Center said on Wednesday.
The boy, identified by his first name, Umar, was on his way home in April when he lost his balance and fell into a neighbour’s yard, where three large dogs attacked him. The attack tore away much of his scalp, leaving his skull exposed. He also suffered a skull fracture.
A police officer on patrol found Umar, who was taken to a nearby hospital. Doctors there, however, could do little more than give him antibiotics.
His family considered seeking treatment in Turkey, but the estimated cost of US$100,000 was far more than they could afford.
Help came on April 27, when an Asan Medical Center team visited Kyrgyzstan to train local medical staff. Local doctors asked the team for help, and arrangements were made to bring Umar to South Korea for treatment. The hospital and the Asan Foundation covered all his medical expenses.
Umar arrived in South Korea on July 9. Given his young age, surgeons combined skin grafts with tissue expansion, transplanting skin from his thigh and gradually stretching the remaining scalp to cover the injured area.
Specialists in dermatology, paediatric infectious diseases and radiology also helped care for him.
On Sept 29, Choi Jong-woo, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the hospital, and his team removed the tissue expanders from beneath Umar’s scalp and used the stretched tissue to cover his exposed skull, completing the reconstruction.
Umar continued to recover at the hospital before returning home on Oct 15.
The trip to South Korea was Umar’s first plane ride. According to the hospital, he dreams of becoming a pilot.
