Doctors at a Bengaluru hospital performed a penile reconstruction surgery on a 12-year-old Nigerian boy who had to amputate his genitalia following a road accident six years ago. Doctors at Fortis Hospital successfully reconstructed the genital organs in what they called a complex and rare surgery.
Following the road accident, the boy had to amputate his penis and right testes making him rely on a urethral catheter to pass urine. His weak bladder caused him to experience incontinence between routine catheterisations. He also had two haemorrhages from damaged femoral blood vessels, which the doctors at his hometown non-operatively. However, they could not carry out surgical reconstruction of his genitalia, after which he was referred to Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.
A team of doctors including paediatrician, endocrinologist, plastic surgeon, surgical gastroenterologist and paediatric intensive care unit team performed multiple surgeries, including penile reconstruction, on the boy in three stages. These included stage 1 (cystoscopy and robot-assisted laparoscopic ileal augmentation of bladder), stage 2 (complete penile reconstruction) and stage 3 (urethral reconstruction). Stage 3 could be conducted only after six months of stage 1 and stage 2 procedures.
After the stage 1 surgery, the doctors carried out a hormonal replacement procedure. For the stage 2 procedure, they performed penile reconstruction using superficial circumflex iliac island skin flap. A thin skin flap was procured from the groin and penile prosthesis with a cylinder inside the flap to aid in sexual intercourse once the child reaches adulthood. The doctors will perform the stage 3 surgery after six months.
Following the penile reconstruction, the doctors removed the boy’s urethral catheter. According to them, he is recovering well and returned to his country.