Kathmandu, April 23

A rare surgery on a person’s jaw was performed in Bir Hospital.

The surgery, medically known as ameloblastoma mandible with haematogenous component, was conducted for the first time in the hospital. The surgery was performed on the left jaw of a 14-year-old male child from Baglung. The doctors were successful in removing a one kilogram tumour from the child’s lower jaw.

Ameloblastoma mandible with haematogenous component is a rare disease appearing in the lower jaw. However, its appearance in the upper jaw can’t be ruled out.

A team of maxillofacial surgeons (who carry out surgery on jaw and face) operated on the rare case. The team included Dr Bandana Khanal, Dr Ishfa Haq, Dr Sandhya Joshi and Dr Kalu Singh Khatri.

“The child had a small lump like structure inside his jaw that went on increasing. We took him to a hospital in Pokhara for treatment at first. Then we were referred him to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital and, at last, to Bir Hospital,” said the child’s guardian on condition of anonymity.

“It was a challenging surgery as risk of excess bleeding was high. It took more than six hours to remove the tumour weighing around one kilogram,” said Dr Kalu Singh Khatri, maxillofacial surgeon at Bir Hospital.

The symptoms of the disease include painless swelling, facial deformity in severe cases, and pain if swelling impinges on other structures like loose teeth and gum. It results in extensive and grotesque deformities of the jaw and face. “Left untreated, the tumour can burst and result in death of patients,” added Dr Khatri.