A local youngster, aged three years old, had a huge tumor removed from his lower jaw by Saudi specialists, who then successfully reconstructed his jaw using tissues taken from the patient’s leg.
The youngster experienced jaw discomfort, a huge swelling in the face, difficulties eating and speaking, and had been brought to a hospital in Riyadh because of these symptoms.
After the tumor obstructed the boy’s breathing system, the medical staff at King Fahd Medical City in the Saudi capital came to the conclusion that the only way to save the boy’s life was to conduct emergency surgery. This was reported by the Arabic language newspaper Sabq, which cited the hospital administration.
“The procedure lasted for a number of hours, during which time the surgeons were able to remove the whole tumor.
As a direct consequence of this, more than two thirds of the lower jaw had to be surgically removed.
“They then used tissues extracted from the boy’s left leg to reconstruct his jaw,” said Dr. Ghazi Al Thubaiti, a plastic surgery expert at the hospital. “This was done in order to give the boy a more normal appearance.”
“This was one of the rarest operations not only in the region but also in the world because such tumor cases are very rare at this age,” the surgeon said. “Not only in the region, but also in the world.” The operation was a success, and when the youngster was discharged from the hospital, he was able to eat, talk normally, and breathe normally.