Chennai surgeons reconstruct jaw of Maldivian baby using ribs, genetically-engineered protein

Indian surgeons in Chennai have reconstructed the jaw of an 18-month old Maldivian baby after removing a large bone tumour from his face, in the first operation of its kind to be conducted in India.

India’s Deccan Chronicle newspaper reported that the “grotesque” tumour was removed during six hours of “gruelling” surgery at Chennai’s Balaji Dental and Craniofacial Hospital, during which time Mohemmed Salik’s lower jaw was reconstructed using three of his ribs, a titanium plane and “three sheets of an expensive genetically-engineered protein that promotes bone growth.”

Craniofacial surgeon S M Balaji told the Chronicle that the rare condition usually led to an operation when the child reached 15 years of age, “however this baby needed immediate surgery as the tumour threatened to permanently disfigure his face and block his nostrils and ear canals.”

The baby’s father, a businessman based in Dubai, told the newspaper that the rare and life-threatening bone disease had appeared when Mohemmed was eight months old, and quickly grown into a “hard balloon” that had disfigured his face and made it impossible for the infant to eat or talk.

Surgeons were reportedly apprehensive about the proceedure, especially given the patient’s age and small size of his blood vessels.

Dr Balaji explained that surgeons first removed a large part of Mohemmed’s upper jaw and then his entire diseased lower jaw, without making an external incision.

“We then harvested three ribs from the child and prepared it with Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP), that attracts stem cells to the area and promotes natural bone growth. The rib grafts were then implanted in the child’s mouth along with a titanium plate for support,” Dr Balaji told the Chronicle.

The newspaper added that six months after the operation, which took place in November last year, Mohemmed had a strong healthy jaw and would soon be fitted with an array of artificial milk teeth, most of which he lost in the operation, later to be replaced by a new set of permanent teeth.

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11 thoughts on “Chennai surgeons reconstruct jaw of Maldivian baby using ribs, genetically-engineered protein”

  3. These so-called-Maldivian-Health-care facilities will never get any better. You fall to a bathroom, instead of an X-ray, you are told to do a URINE TEST!
    The whole world will go ahead, but we, (maldivians) will always stay where we have always been, at the back.

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  4. Good job Dr. Balaji, Keep it up, wish the boy will have better future with successful operation.

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  5. Would be great to know the rough about of costs involved if possible. This one being the first of its kind in India, sounds it would have been very expensive, affordable only by the rich, such as a Dubai business man.

    There are so many cases of disfigured children with face defects that could be cured. I am sure all those parents would love to know the costs!

    But yes... good work and congrats to Dr. Balaji & India!!!

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  6. Dr Balaji, please, please help the Maldivian Head of State and the Head pf Maldivian Health Authority with your kind advices and expertise so that they could work for the peoples' health instead of taking ADVANTAGE of the poor people with poor knowledge.

    Also ask them to stop gaming of making fool of the poor citizen by showing them nice color pictures of the would be health care standard during the Presidential Election

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  8. Happy news!
    May the child recover soon and lead a happier life!
    Thanks to the surgeon too for having the courage to attempt this and for having done it successfully!
    Wish them both a happy future!

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