WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT. The unnamed 60-year-old was fishing when he was attacked by a bear in Thailand and lost most of his face in the horror incident before being rushed to hospital
A man had most of his face, including his nose and the top half of his lip, ripped off with a single swipe after being attacked by a bear whilst out fishing.
The 60-year-old’s neck and stomach were also mauled by the bear in the horror incident, although his face took the brunt of the attack in Thailand. It is unknown how the fisherman managed to escape the massive animal, believed to be an Asiatic black bear, a species which are known to attack humans when they feel threatened.
He was rushed to hospital where he underwent a complex and life-saving surgery, despite the odds of survival being against him.
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The incident took place in Thailand late last year with the case presented in a surgical journal in December. Author Nutthawut Akaranuchat said: A 60-year-old Thai male sustained severe and complex maxillofacial injuries, along with superficial neck and abdominal injuries, from being mauled by a black bear in Thailand.
“The accident caused massive injury to the face, including the right eye and periorbital soft tissue, right cheek, total nose, total upper lip, partial lower lip, and underlying bone structures. A computed tomography scan showed comminuted pan-facial fractures.
“Lifesaving procedures were performed at nearby hospitals, and then he was referred to our center one month after the injury. Our initial multi-stage surgical management strategy for treating this patient included debridement, right eyeball enucleation, coverage of the entire defect with anterolateral thigh with vastus lateralis chimeric free flap, and gastrostomy tube insertion to ensure appropriate nutrition.
“The next phase of treatment involved total nasal reconstruction with the two-stage folded paramedian forehead flap with cadaveric costal cartilage grafts.”
The “multi-stage surgical management strategy” included debridement, removing the entire right eyeball and covering the defect with a skin free flap sourced from the patient’s thigh. The next phase of treatment involved a nasal reconstruction.
Despite the garish details of his recovery the patient went on to make an unbelievable recovery. Within two months, he was breathing through his nostrils again, was able to open and close his remaining eye and eat through his mouth.
Dr Akaranuchat added: “The outcomes of treatments provided the patient with spontaneous breathing via neonostrils and eating directly through his mouth. This case report demonstrates that satisfactory results can be achieved using a well-planned multi-stage reconstruction strategy.”
