A man who had his face mauled by a bear has miraculously survived as hero surgeons fought to save his life.
The 60-year-old patient was out fishing when he came across an Asiatic black bear.
The animal took a swipe at his face with such force that it left him nearly unrecognisable.
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The fisherman’s nose and the top half of his mouth was ripped off, reports Need To Know.
Photograph of the patient during the first presentation; The patient had extensive tissue loss in his face including the right periorbital orbital area, nose, both cheeks, upper lip, and lower lip. (Jam Press/Science Direct)
His neck and stomach were also damaged by the bear, though his face took the brunt of the attack.
The extensive tissue loss was tackled through complex and life-saving surgery that worked against all the odds.
Following the immediate treatment to stabilise the patient, a CT and further tests revealed the true extent of the damage.
The patient was transferred to a different facility to begin the process of his complex facial reconstruction.
Immediate postoperative result of the nasal reconstruction with cadaveric costal cartilage grafts and paramedian forehead flap. (Jam Press/Science Direct)
The “multi-stage surgical management strategy” included debridement, removing the entire right eyeball and covering the defect with a skin free flap sourced from the patient’s thigh.
The next phase of treatment involved a nasal reconstruction.
The patient went on to make an unbelievable recovery.
Within two months, he was breathing through his nostrils again, was able to open and close his remaining eye and eat through his mouth.
Photographs of postoperative outcomes at 2 months after the last operation; Frontal view during open mouth; patient can open his mouth at least 3 cm. (Jam Press/Science Direct)
“This case report demonstrates that satisfactory results can be achieved using a well-planned multi-stage reconstruction strategy,” said lead author Nutthawut Akaranuchat.
The incident took place in Thailand late last year with the case presented in a surgical journal in December.
