Riding over the J J flyover this 18 year old college student met with
an unprecedented accident. His bike slipped off the road and he banged
head-on to the roadside barrier with colossal force.
His face had torn apart and his facialbones were shattered (Fig 1).
He was brought to the emergency department of Saifee Hospital .
The survival rate of patients with such massive injuries is quite low,
mainly due to the obstruction of the upper airway,
blood loss, injuries to the brain and other internal organs.
In this case the emergency medical officer performed a tracheostomy
and established an IV immediately on arrival which proved to be a life
saver for this boy.
During the primary surgery, the facial bones were aligned and the soft
tissues were sutured back.
However due to the magnitude of injury some portions of the soft
tissue gradually necrosed leaving behind a deformity in the
naso-labial region.
And thus the reconstructive ladder began. Composite flaps were used to
reconstruct the nose and upper lip & palate.
Inspite of multiple surgeries, disfigurement still exists.
This case was one of those avoidable incidents only if the patient had
worn a helmet and driven responsibly.
We witness such incidents routinely at our emergency facilities.
Inspite of relentless efforts by local authorities and the doctor
fraternity to spread awareness about road safety, such cases only seem
to be on a rise.
