The general belief among people is that plastic surgeries, vital to correct physical deformities either due to burns, road accidents or birth defects, are done only in corporate hospitals and are out of bounds of common man.
But the plastic surgery department at Osmania General Hospital (OGH) has been successfully and quietly performing many kinds of plastic surgeries free of cost, transforming the lives of several patients, giving them the confidence to lead a normal life.
Not many are aware that close to 300 plastic surgeries are performed in the two units of plastic surgery department at OGH a month, including burns, trauma and re-constructive surgeries. Around 180 to 200 new admissions are registered every month. About 90% of people who come to the OGH are of low socio-economic groups but, of late, even patients from middle classes are knocking the doors of the hospital, doctors say.
Naga Prasad, professor and head of department of plastic surgery, says anything that could be moulded comes under plastic surgery.
Recently Rithika, a 14-year-old girl and resident of Hayathnagar with left ear deformity (microtia) since birth, underwent the first phase of surgery. Her parents Prabhakar and Indira, who took her to various private hospitals, could not afford a fee of ₹4 lakh quoted by them and so brought their daughter to OGH. The girl successfully underwent the first stage ear reconstruction on September 24 this year and was discharged. She would undergo the second stage of surgery in three months followed by the final stage.
The hospital’s team of plastic surgeons recently performed vaginoplasty on a 30-year-old Sujatha, hailing from Krishna district. The woman was suffering from congenital problem called ‘vaginal atresia’, a condition that prevents the patient from attaining menarche (menstruation). After the surgery in September, her parents were happy for their daughter as she can get married and lead a normal life now.
In another case, one-and-a-half-year-old Nandita of Bhupally in Siddipet had spindle cell lesions over left hand since birth. The lesions gradually increased in size causing her pain and she could not move her fingers.
She also underwent a surgery at the department last month and was discharged 10 days ago. Similarly, 21-year-old engineering student, Raghavi, of Shadnagar successfully underwent a surgery for congenital syndactyly (fused toes) on his left foot.