Cyprus pioneering surgery gives teenager an ear
Doctors have performed pioneering surgery for the first time in Cyprus on a teenager without an ear, according to a press release issued yesterday.
The surgery on a 14-year-old girl born without an outer left ear was carried out at the American Medical Centre /American Heart Institute under the leadership of Dr Giorgos Psaras, director and co-founder of the nonprofit foundation ‘Smile’ organisation in South Africa.
The Nicosia-based medical centre has been carrying out a number of innovative surgeries in recent months on patients with congenital birth defects or injuries.
Regarding the latest case, Dr Psaras explained that some children may be born with a defective outer part of the ear, or as in this case, with no outer ear at all.
To consider surgical intervention in such cases, the patient needs to be at least six years of age.
During surgery on the 14-year-old girl, which took place a few weeks ago, the medical team took cartilage from other parts of the body and reshaped it to look identical to the outer ear.
They then placed the ‘skeleton’ of the outer ear on the left side of the patient’s head, completing the first phase of the reconstruction of the ear. Two more phases will be carried out in the next six months.
According to the press statement, very few specialised medical centres around the world are capable of carrying out such surgical interventions.
Cyprus Mail
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