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Journalism of Courage
Five-year-old Shivashri Salunke’s finger, which had been completely bitten off in a stray dog attack on September 30, was successfully reattached at Poona Hospital.
Shivashri’s father Anil, who resides in Manjri Bk, said on September 30, his wife had been accompanying their twin daughters on the way home when one of them walked slightly ahead.
“Just as Shivashri was about to enter the building, a stray dog suddenly attacked and bit her finger. Her twin sister and my wife rushed to the spot and fortunately the dog went away. My daughter was terribly scared and did not stop crying. However, she has stabilised now and is getting discharged today (October 6),” Anil said.
Dr Abhishek Ghosh, Microvascular and Reconstructive Surgeon at Poona Hospital, had conducted an emergency microsurgical replantation of the severed finger. During the four-hour intricate procedure, the bones were fixed and tiny blood vessels and nerves were reattached under a microscope, successfully restoring circulation and function to the finger.
“The replantation was made very difficult by the fact that it was a mangled avulsion of the finger and not a clean cut. Also, the additional fear of rabies compounded the risk,” Dr Ghosh said.
Concomitant anti-rabies prophylaxis had been administered, including both anti-rabies antibodies and vaccine, as part of the comprehensive management protocol. With timely intervention and surgical care, the finger was successfully replanted and the child is recovering well.
According to municipal corporation data, close to 20,000 cases of dog bites have been registered from January till August this year. Authorities said that data for September of dog bite cases have yet to be collated. When contacted, Dr Sarika Funde, chief veterinary officer, Pune Municipal Corporation, said that post such incidents of dog bites, ring vaccination is immediately taken up.
This case highlights the critical importance of early presentation and specialised microvascular expertise in ensuring the success of such delicate replantation surgeries, even when faced with the added complexity of animal bites, according to Dr Ghosh. However for the affected parents, it serves as an appeal to prevent the recurrence of such traumatic dog bite incidents.
