Indian doctors have successfully rejoined both legs of a two-year-old boy, Mohammed Saleh, who sustained a complete amputation in a train accident.
Simultaneous amputation of both legs is a rare occurrence and rejoining them is extremely difficult.
So far only 13 successful cases have been reported across the world, including 4 children, and Saleh is the youngest of them.
Saleh and his mother came under a train in the South Indian state of Kerala.
While his mother lost her life, Saleh was found lying in a pool of blood with severed legs. The police rushed him to A J Hospital and Research Centre in Mangalore.
After treating his injuries, the hospital took the tough decision to replant his limbs with the permission of police without waiting for the family to be traced.
A seven-member team of surgeons led by Dr Dinesh Kadam, head of Plastic surgery, successfully rejoined Saleh’s legs in a 7-hour microvascular surgery.
Saleh responded well to the surgery and the treatment that followed. After his fractured bones healed, he regained muscle power and sensory ability, and is now able to walk independently.
His family was traced to Payanur in Kerala, where he now lives with his grandparents.
The accident took place on April 29, 2017, and Saleh spent over six months in the hospital, which shared his case with the media recently after he made a full recovery.
