7-year-old boy with neck burns had his chin fused to his chest: He regained his health after surgery in Turkey
Jacques Franck Pharel Teme, a 7-year-old living in Cameroon, became one of the unfortunate children whose life was turned upside down following an accident at home. Due to the severe deformities caused by burns in the neck area, young Teme was unable to move his head and struggled even with basic daily activities. His family traveled to Turkey for their son's treatment and applied to a private hospital. Thanks to a successful microsurgery performed there, Teme regained his health and recovered his ability to move.
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An accident while playing at home turned the life of 7-year-old Cameroonian Jacques Franck Pharel Teme upside down. These burns, which caused severe damage to his neck, left the young boy unable to move his head. His family traveled to Turkey to seek treatment for Teme and applied to a private hospital. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burak Özkan and his team performed a meticulous microsurgical operation. Following the operation, the young boy regained his mobility and was discharged.
CHALLENGING BURN TREATMENT
Providing information about Jacques' condition, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özkan said, "Burn contractures are deformities that occur during healing and cause restricted movement. Especially in the neck area, this condition had caused severe restriction by fusing his head to his torso." He noted that contracture bands affecting his eyelids and the area around his mouth also negatively impacted the child's daily life.
MICROSURGERY OPERATION DETAILS
The team performed a comprehensive microsurgery operation to clear the hardened tissues in Jacques' neck and restore his mobility. Dr. Özkan stated, "After clearing the deformities in the neck, we took a thin tissue from the leg area and connected it to the vessels in the neck with the help of a microscope. Thus, we closed the gaps by transferring new tissue with its own circulation."
POST-OPERATIVE PROCESS
Following the surgery, which was performed near major blood vessels, Jacques was carefully monitored in the intensive care unit for one day. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Specialist Asst. Prof. Dr. Burak Ergün Tatar stated that great care was taken at every stage of the operation and that the transplanted tissue was checked hourly. "We regularly monitored the health status of the tissue. We were constantly on alert against any risk of vascular occlusion," he said.
After the surgery, Jacques' mobility in his neck improved significantly. "The downward pull on our patient's eyes has passed, and the deformity in his mouth has disappeared. His movements are now more natural and comfortable," said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özkan, noting that microsurgery offers a wide range of solutions for such complex cases.
Jacques' family expressed their great satisfaction with the treatment they received in Turkey. "Our son could not speak and could not move his head. He is very relieved after the surgery; he can now run around everywhere. We were very scared at first, but everything is fine now," they said, expressing their gratitude.