Dog bites off part of man’s face, doctors in Villupuram hospital reconstruct it

VILLUPURAM: M Govindhan, 44, a mat weaver, was sleeping outside his home in a village in Kallakurichi district of Tamil Nadu in the early hours of April 30 when a dog, being raised at an adjacent blue metal crusher unit, came there and bit off the left side of the face, including left side of the nose and upper lip.
The married man with three children from Periyamampattu village has got a new lease of life now thanks to a team of surgeons in Government Villupuram Medical College and Hospital (GVMCH).
The team performed two reconstruction surgeries on the man and fixed the mutilated part of the face.
Dr K Raja, a plastic surgeon in the hospital, said, “Govindhan was admitted to emergency ward of GVMCH around 8am on the same day. He was administered post exposure prophylaxis of anti-rabies vaccine for three days adhering to the Covid-19 precautions.”
The patient underwent reconstruction surgeries, on May 4 and May 26. We performed the surgeries using oblique forehead flap for nose reconstruction and repaired upper lip with skin graft.
After 35 days, the man was discharged on June 2. On Tuesday, he returned to the hospital to express his gratitude to the hospital staff.
GVMCH dean Dr R Kundhavi Devi told TOI that the operation that might have cost minimum Rs 5 lakh in a private hospital had been done free of cost under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.
“I sincerely thank the patient for his cooperation and his confidence in the surgical team here,” she said
Govindhan said, “Despite the Covid-19, the doctor team and the entire hospital administration made a remarkable work. I will be grateful to the doctors and the entire team throughout my entire life.”