NEW DELHI: Doctors at a city hospital have reconstructed the nose of a gunshot victim from Afghanistan using over 2500-year-old techniques described by Sushruta, the father of surgery.
Shamsa, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, was shot four years ago.
Though she was fortunate to have survived the attack, she lost most part of her nose and the ability to breathe and smell, Ajaya Kashyap, Medical Director of KAS Medical Centre and MedSpa said.
She suffered the injury when she was 24-years-old and was about to get married and settle down.
The family later travelled all the way to India so that she can undergo a plastic surgery for her nose, the doctor said.
Explaining the surgical approach Kashyap said, "We often fail to take pride in the fact that some of the most advanced and modern surgical procedures, like plastic surgery, have their roots in India like Sushruta's techniques."
"They are so precise and scientifically accurate that they could be used even today for nose and ear reconstructions. All we have to do is to modify them to sync with latest treatment modalities," he said.
In this case, the doctors took skin from Shamsa's cheeks for the surgery, held on October 8, and followed the techniques described by Sushruta.
However, considering the complications usually involved in such cases, the procedure required great precision and expertise, Kashyap said.
Explaining the challenges faced during the surgery, he said when it came to facial reconstruction surgeries, along with addressing associated medical issues, there was a need to take care of its cosmetic aspects.