‘He can lead normal life’

BENGALURU: A 45-year-old Yemeni war victim recently underwent a rare genital reconstruction here as his penis had been cut off amid the unrest in the country.Doctors at Apollo Hospital conducted penis reconstruction surgery in August using flesh and skin from his left arm. He’s among the many Yemeni war victims who have availed of quality healthcare here.After the gruesome incident a year ago, he was unable to stand to urinate and had to face much embarrassment. This school teacher would wear a burqa and use female restrooms in his village.“When he was attacked by extremists, his penis and one testicle was severed as were nerves and blood vessels. He underwent extreme trauma and was disturbed psychologically. He was counselled before the surgery,” said Dr Naveen Rao, senior consultant plastic surgeon, who led the doctors’ team along with senior consultant urologist Dr Deepak Bolbandi.Two days before the surgery, doctors used blood vessels from his thighs to create a loop near the severed organ to ensure blood circulation. The reconstruction surgery took about 8 hours. The bulk of the organ was reconstructed using forearm flesh and skin and the nerves were joined to restore sensation.The Yemeni, who can’t speak English or any Indian language, had to depend on an interpreter to communicate with doctors. He didn’t want to disclose anything about the attack. He was also worried about his family life, and afraid his wife may not stay with him. “In this case, his reproductive abilities have not been fully hampered and he can lead a normal life,” doctors said. He has since returned home.Doctors recalled a similar case in 2008 when a woman had severed the penis of a Mysuru dentist after he refused to marry her and he was brought to Bengaluru for surgery.