15 charities come together to give man a new jaw
Salman Khan’s Being Human, Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal and Siddhivinayak Temple are among those who enabled a Kholapur grocery store helper undergo jaw joint replacement surgery, the first-of-its-kind in the country.
Fifteen charitable organisations, including Salman Khan’s Being Human, Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal and Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, came together to help a man whose jaw had been locked for the past five years following a bike accident.
In a first-of-its-kind surgery in the country on Thursday, 26-year-old Subhash Khapane, who had been on a liquid diet all these years, underwent a successful jaw joint replacement surgery at the State-run Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital. Khapane, a Kolhapur grocery store helper, can now eat and speak normally.
Playing no mean a part in the entire endeavour was Dr Nitin Mokal, senior plastic surgeon at GT Hospital, who operated on Khapane.
In February 2009, an ST bus hit a bike Khapane was riding on, completely shattering his jaw and knocking out 18 teeth. He received initial treatment at a local hospital, and was sent to Mumbai for jaw repair surgery.
At GT, Dr Mokal operated on Khapane, putting his jaw in place. However, two years later, his jaw (temporomandibular joint) stopped functioning. “The joint connecting the mandible to the skull and the muscle which moves the jaw was completely locked. The condition is called temporomandibular joint dysfunction,” said Dr Mokal.
“In 2011, we performed another surgery to release the locked joint, after which Khapane got some relief and was able to open his mouth slightly. But he still couldn’t chew hard food,” Dr Mokal said.
Few months later, however, bone formation once again locked his jaw. “We tried everything, but nothing worked for Khapane,” said Dr Mokal. “He was forced to survive on liquid diet.”
In 2013, Dr Mokal attended a plastic surgery conference where Toronto based Dr David Psutka presented jaw joint replacement surgery, using an artificial titanium jaw. “I immediately thought of Khapane, it was the only option for him.”
With the cost beyond the Khapanes, the family approached 15 charities and managed to raise the funds. In the meanwhile, Dr Mokal attended a surgery training programmed conducted by Dr Psutka in Florida, to acquaint himself with the procedure in preparation for Khapane’s operation.
Finally, earlier this month, the joint was imported and Khapane operated upon. “It took six hours and we had to be extremely careful not to damage facial nerves and major vessels that supply blood to the brain. But it was successful,” said Dr Mokal.
“I can’t express the pain I experienced for five years,” Khapane said on Saturday. “I survived on a liquid diet and couldn’t even speak.”
A father of two, Khapane will now spend a fortnight in GT while Dr Mokal observes his recovery. “I can’t wait to go home and speak properly to my son and daughter for the first time,” said Khapane. “I’m also eager to eat all my favourite dishes once more,” he added.
Fifteen charitable organisations, including Salman Khan’s Being Human, Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal and Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, came together to help a man whose jaw had been locked for the past five years following a bike accident.
In a first-of-its-kind surgery in the country on Thursday, 26-year-old Subhash Khapane, who had been on a liquid diet all these years, underwent a successful jaw joint replacement surgery at the State-run Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital. Khapane, a Kolhapur grocery store helper, can now eat and speak normally.
The joint had to be imported from US manufacturer Biomet Microfixation, at a cost of Rs 4 lakh, but the 15 charities made it possible. Besides Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojna (Rs 80,000) and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (Rs 40,000), Salman Khan’s Being Human, Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal and Siddhivinayak Temple Trust (Rs 20,000 each) were the major contributors.
Playing no mean a part in the entire endeavour was Dr Nitin Mokal, senior plastic surgeon at GT Hospital, who operated on Khapane.
In February 2009, an ST bus hit a bike Khapane was riding on, completely shattering his jaw and knocking out 18 teeth. He received initial treatment at a local hospital, and was sent to Mumbai for jaw repair surgery.
At GT, Dr Mokal operated on Khapane, putting his jaw in place. However, two years later, his jaw (temporomandibular joint) stopped functioning. “The joint connecting the mandible to the skull and the muscle which moves the jaw was completely locked. The condition is called temporomandibular joint dysfunction,” said Dr Mokal.
“In 2011, we performed another surgery to release the locked joint, after which Khapane got some relief and was able to open his mouth slightly. But he still couldn’t chew hard food,” Dr Mokal said.
Few months later, however, bone formation once again locked his jaw. “We tried everything, but nothing worked for Khapane,” said Dr Mokal. “He was forced to survive on liquid diet.”
In 2013, Dr Mokal attended a plastic surgery conference where Toronto based Dr David Psutka presented jaw joint replacement surgery, using an artificial titanium jaw. “I immediately thought of Khapane, it was the only option for him.”
With the cost beyond the Khapanes, the family approached 15 charities and managed to raise the funds. In the meanwhile, Dr Mokal attended a surgery training programmed conducted by Dr Psutka in Florida, to acquaint himself with the procedure in preparation for Khapane’s operation.
Finally, earlier this month, the joint was imported and Khapane operated upon. “It took six hours and we had to be extremely careful not to damage facial nerves and major vessels that supply blood to the brain. But it was successful,” said Dr Mokal.
“I can’t express the pain I experienced for five years,” Khapane said on Saturday. “I survived on a liquid diet and couldn’t even speak.”
A father of two, Khapane will now spend a fortnight in GT while Dr Mokal observes his recovery. “I can’t wait to go home and speak properly to my son and daughter for the first time,” said Khapane. “I’m also eager to eat all my favourite dishes once more,” he added.
