A 22-year-old man from Faridabad faced a terrifying ordeal after his pet pitbull bit off most of his left ear. The incident, which left his ear attached by only a small 2mm skin bridge with no blood flow, required immediate medical intervention to prevent permanent disfigurement. Rushed to Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, the man underwent a complex and life-saving 11-hour reconstructive surgery to restore his ear.
Doctors at the hospital, led by Dr. Mohit Sharma, Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, immediately worked to re-establish blood supply to the severed ear. “The vessels of the ear are extremely small, less than 0.5mm, and were torn, not clean-cut, which made the surgery exceptionally challenging,” explained Dr. Sharma. The medical team had to replace damaged sections of the artery and vein with a vein segment from another part of the body to reconnect the blood vessels.
The procedure required two separate surgeries, one lasting six hours and the second five, using a high-powered microscope and specialised microsurgical instruments. Despite the complexities, the surgery was successful, and the patient’s ear was fully revascularised.
In addition to the reconstructive efforts, the doctors also addressed the high risk of infection posed by the dog bite. The patient received anti-rabies immunoglobulin and intravenous antibiotics to prevent infection, a crucial step in ensuring the ear’s survival and the patient’s overall recovery.
Dr. Devajyoti Guin, Senior Consultant at Amrita Hospital, highlighted the most difficult aspect of the surgery: joining the tiny artery and vein. “The initial branch we connected wasn’t supplying enough blood, so we had to perform the arterial anastomosis again on a better branch,” he said. The team used heparin drips to maintain adequate blood flow and prevent complications.
The patient, who expressed immense gratitude to the hospital’s medical team, said, “Getting my ear back feels like getting a part of myself back. I was terrified that I would be disfigured for life, but the doctors at Amrita Hospital made sure that didn’t happen.”
This surgery represents a major medical achievement in India, being the first of its kind under such conditions. While only 47 similar reconstructive surgeries have been documented worldwide, Amrita Hospital’s success highlights its advanced microsurgical capabilities and the expertise of its medical team.
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