The 24th batch of the Chinese medical team in Niger has successfully carried out West Africa’s first vascularized anterolateral thigh free flap transplantation at the General Referral Hospital of Niamey in the country’s capital, saving the left foot of a local patient.
The patient, a 42-year-old worker, had been suffering from a tumor in his left foot for four years. With limited local medical resources, he was unable to receive effective treatment, and his condition worsened to the point of facing possible amputation.
After thorough examination and assessment, Nong Jianbu, deputy chief orthopedic surgeon of the Chinese medical team, developed a treatment plan that involved tumor resection followed by flap transplantation. During the operation, the medical team removed the tumor, harvested a vascularized free flap from the thigh, transplanted it to the wound site, and completed vascular anastomosis.
The four-hour surgery successfully preserved the function of the patient’s foot, and his postoperative recovery is reported to be satisfactory.
The vascularized anterolateral thigh free flap transplantation is a highly complex microsurgical technique often used to repair large soft tissue defects caused by severe trauma or tumor removal. Due to limitations in medical resources and expertise, such surgeries are rarely performed in Africa. The success of this operation marks a breakthrough in the medical field in West Africa. Enditem
Source: Xinhua
Share Us
