He Was Told In His Country That His Leg Had To Be Amputated!
Nikolazi, who is only 7 years old, was in danger of losing his leg as a result of a traffic accident during a vacation with his family. He came to Yeditepe University Hospital after being told that there was nothing that could be done for treatment in his country and that his leg could be amputated. After the difficult surgeries and treatment performed by
Yeditepe University Kozyatağı Hospital Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Specialist, his foot and leg healed.
The summer vacation, which started last August, ended with an unexpected accident for the Edilashvili Family. Little Nikolazi, who was walking on the road with his grandmother on an ordinary day, as his family called him, suddenly escaped from his grandmother's grasp and rushed to the road. Just then, a truck slammed into Niko and ran over his leg. His mother describes what happened next: “I don't remember how we got to the crash site as soon as we heard the news. A few minutes seemed like hours. At that time, hundreds of scenarios ran through my mind. Thankfully, Niko was alive. But his leg was in bad condition. We took him to the hospital immediately. They said that all of the foot bones were broken and there were bruises between the knee and the toes. The sad news came later. Because they told me that they might have to amputate his foot. Can you imagine how a 7-year-old boy who hadn't experienced anything yet could lose his leg?”
Following this news, father Iakob Edilashvili, who continues to serve as the First Vice President of Georgia, went on a quest for his son's recovery. Niko was brought to Turkey, to Yeditepe University Hospital, about 15 days after the accident.
“Amputation Of The Leg Is Our Last Resort”
Yeditepe University Hospital Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery Specialist said, “Amputating the leg is always the last option for us and we try every method to save the leg,” and gave the following information about Nikolazi. We first contacted the family via the internet. They conveyed to us the evaluations made in Georgia and information about the condition of the leg. They asked if it could be saved without needing to be amputated. We said there was a good chance of saving it. Niko came to Turkey. First, we looked at the condition of his veins, then we started to clean and close his wounds.”
Veins Thinner Than Hair Strands Were Intervened
The boy's bones and soft tissues were crushed. There was no skin from the bottom of the knee to the ankle. First, the skin was removed from both thighs and transplanted. In the meantime, supportive treatments were continued to make Niko's body ready for major surgery. However, since a person can not walk without a heel, the real problem was reconstructing the heel. For this reason, an operation that is quite common in adults but can be performed exceedingly difficult in 7-year-old children like Niko was performed. Yeditepe University Kozyatağı Hospital Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Specialist gave the following information about the operation, which requires microsurgery, called “Free Flap” and was completed in approximately seven hours: “It was transplanted to the heel of the foot with muscle veins in the thigh that would not cause any dysfunction in the body when not present. The veins in the thickness of a hair were stitched together. As a result, the foot was saved by creating a new heel and he was allowed to walk. Everything went well after the surgery.”
Now He Can Even Play Football
Niko, who was hospitalized for a week, returned to his country after staying in Turkey for a month so that he could be kept under observation. Regular check-ups continue to prevent any shortness in his leg as long as he continues to grow. Today, Niko's mother, who says he is perfectly healthy and can walk and run without pain, states, “Niko loves football very much. He runs after the ball every day.”
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