Doctors have successfully reattached a young boy’s “decapitated” head after the 12-year-old suffered extremely rare injuries when he collided with a car on his bicycle.
This week, doctors in Israel remarkably were able to reattach the head of 12-year-old Suleiman Hassan after ligaments connecting the boy’s skull and spine were severed, Jerusalem Hospital announced.
The boy, a Palestinian residing in the West Bank, suffered from a condition called internal decapitation, where his skull became detached from the upper vertebrae of his spinal column, specifically known as bilateral atlanto occipital joint dislocation, as reported by The Times of Israel.
While riding his bicycle, he was struck by a car and was rushed to Hadassah Medical Center, where he underwent immediate surgery in the trauma unit.
The doctors said his head was “almost completely detached from the base of his neck.”
Dr Ohad Einav, the orthopaedic specialist who led the operation, said the procedure took several hours and required the doctors to use “new plates and fixations in the damaged area”.
The doctor said: “Our ability to save the child was thanks to our knowledge and the most innovative technology in the operating room.”
According to i24 News, Dr Einav and his team stated that Hassan’s chances of survival were initially estimated at a mere 50 percent, making his recovery nothing short of a miracle.
Dr Einav added that the team “fought for the boy’s life”.
Although the surgery took place in June, the doctors chose to delay announcing the results for a month.
Recently, the hospital released Hassan, providing him with a cervical splint, and will closely observe his progress during the recovery phase.
Dr Einav added: “The fact that such a child has no neurological deficits or sensory or motor dysfunction and that he is functioning normally and walking without an aid after such a long process is no small thing.”
The boy’s father stayed by his son’s side throughout the entire recovery process, expressing profound gratitude towards the medical staff.
The father said: “Bless you all. Thanks to you, he regained his life even when the odds were low and the danger was obvious.
“What saved him was professionalism, technology and quick decision-making by the trauma and orthopaedics team.”
