BERHAMPUR: When six-year-old Kanha Nayak saw his face, devoid of bumps and black hair, his happiness knew no bounds. Stitches from his face were removed on Thursday after a complex surgery last month. The additional growth on his face that was removed by a team of 12 doctors of MKCG Medical, weighed almost a kg.
Son of a labourer Ramchandra Nayak of Baghua village under Jagannathprasad block in Ganjam district, Kanha had been suffering from an unusual growth of bumps and black hair on his body since birth.
The six-hour-long rare surgery that was performed on him on July 26 by the doctors has given him a new lease of life. He now hopes to look like the other children in his neighbourhood, who once ridiculed him for his unusual appearance. After removing the bumps and black hair from the affected portions of his face, skin from Kanha’s thigh was grafted.
Head of plastic surgery department of MKCG Medical Dr Rajoo Dash, who helmed the surgery, said the skin grafting worked perfectly on Kanha and he would be kept in the ICU for a few more days before being shifted to the surgery ward. The boy will have to undergo another surgery after three months.
The cost of the surgery will be borne by the district administration. Kanha’s plight was highlighted in the media recently and the Chief Minister’s Office was apprised of his condition.
BDO of Jagannathprasad admitted him to MKCG and the district administration assured to meet the treatment expenses.After the boy was admitted to the hospital on July 19, several tests were conducted following which, Dr Dash decided to perform a surgery to remove the additional growth from the boy’s body.
He said Kanha is suffering from Giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevus, in which the patient suffers from abnormally dark, non-cancerous patches on the skin since birth. Dr Dash said it is feasible to operate upon patients who have such patches on 1 to 5 per cent of the body. However, 40 per cent of Kanha’s body was covered with bumps and hair. He said in this case, surgery has to be conducted in phases.