Mumbai: Wadia doctors use a piece of leg bone to fix infant’s jaw

A ninemonthold girl has become one of the youngest in the country to undergo a complex jaw reconstruction after a rapidly growing tumour threatened to destroy that part of her featuresDhruvi Devrukhkar born to a Dadar couple was detected with a rare benign tumour in her jaw when she was six months oldldquoWe were worried about her as she used to face difficulties in eating drinking and swallowing While it could have also led to an issue for her once she started speaking we consulted the doctors at Wadia Hospitalrdquo said Mahendra Devrukhkar her fatherFor doctors it was a challenge of another level ldquoThe blood vessels were tiny and delicate The strength of the bone was a concern The reconstruction is done to bring stability to the jaw At this age the bones of the child are soft and they tend to break easily The reconstruction of the jaw using such soft bones needed extra care while handling But we were ready to go ahead with technical and Covid19 precautionsrdquo said Dr Nilesh Satbhai plastic surgeon at Bai Jerbai Wadia HospitalAlso read Kerala Sixmonthold infant succumbs to rare diseaseA team of 12 doctors took 10 hours to remove the affected part and reconstruct it with a piece of a bone from Dhurvirsquos leg ldquoWe had to cut the fibula bone from her leg into pieces and give it the required shape We then fixed it with a plate and screws Blood circulation to the bone was restored by joining blood vessels of the bone to the blood vessels of the neckrdquo said Dr SatbhaiHe said the surgery was also challenging in terms of maintaining haemodynamics and giving anaesthesia as the surgery part was closer to the air way ldquoWe had to be alert about what we were doing Even a sudden blood loss of 100 ml would have made a huge difference since it was a childrdquo added Dr SathbhaiDuring the surgery the team also took care to keep Dhruvirsquos parents updatedldquoWhile the parents were anxious to let such a child undergo the surgery they saw how the tumour had grown in less than two months While the surgery was on we kept them posted at regular intervals We knew it was difficult for them to wait outside an OT for 10 hoursrdquo said Dr Sathbai Postsurgery the doctors had to remain more alert ldquoThere are high chances of complications or failure because the blood vessels sometimes get blocked or there is no adequate blood supply It needs close monitoring in postoperative periodrdquo said Dr SathbhaiExplaining the surgery Dr Minnie Bodhanwala CEO of Wadia hospital said the jawbones play an important role as they enable people to open the mouth speak fluently and communicate effectively ldquoThe jaws also bear the teeth which are crucial for biting and chewing Besides it maintains our facial proportions and dimensions Hence the absence or loss of a part of the jaw can lead to significant deformities and disabilities We are happy that our team of doctors managed to do this complex surgery and give a new lease of life to Dhruvirdquo said Dr Bodhanwala