Second opinion gives injured mechanic hope

A 28-year-old mechanic who was told in Lautoka that his severely injured left leg might need to be amputated is now undergoing treatment at Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH) Hospitals in Nadi.

Selvin Prasad of Saweni, Lautoka, suffered serious injuries to his left leg after he was struck by a vehicle while riding a bicycle in Saweni.

His family said doctors at the Lautoka hospital told them amputation was the only option because of the severity of his injuries.

Seeking a second opinion, the family transferred Prasad to PSH Hospitals in Legalega, Nadi, where he has undergone multiple surgeries under orthopaedic surgeon Dr Vaigalo Eddie McCaig.

“We had lost all hope when doctors in Lautoka told us that amputation of Selvin’s left leg was the only option they had left,” said Mr Prasad’s wife, Sonia Kumar.

“It is at that moment we decided to shift him to PSH Hospitals and we have now been told that there would be no need to amputate my husband’s left leg anymore, but he may have to go through a series of surgical procedures to fully recover in the coming months,” she said.

Mr Prasad was unable to speak to the media because of the pain he was experiencing and the treatment and medication he had received. He authorised his wife to speak on his behalf.

Dr McCaig said Mr Prasad had suffered a limb-threatening injury and would require further treatment and extensive rehabilitation.

“The patient was transferred to us from Lautoka with a limb-threatening injury and the advice was for an amputation,” he said.

“He came to us at PSH Hospitals on Tuesday, August 25, with a hope that we will save his leg, and to date he has had multiple surgeries following which his leg is no longer at risk of amputation.”

Dr McCaig said the immediate priority was to control the infection and stabilise Mr Prasad’s leg before skin grafts could be carried out.

“First things first, we have to get rid of the infection and stabilise the patient's leg followed by extensive skin grafts and once his wounds have healed, we aim to do an operation which is very rare, not commonly seen to happen in Fiji,” he said.

The planned procedure would involve reconstructing a 10-centimetre section of Prasad’s tibia, or shin bone, using a staged surgical technique known as the Masquelet bone graft technique.

Dr McCaig said the first stage would involve filling the bone defect with bone cement containing polymethyl methacrylate.

After about two months, Mr Prasad would undergo another operation to remove the cement and fill the defect with a bone graft taken from the inner iliac crest of his pelvis.

McCaig said the technique originated in France and was also used in developing countries.

“I have done this procedure in the past at Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva but I must say this is a very rare case and that is why most surgeons opt for a more practical solution, as that is amputation, because in this day and age, prosthetics available are very good,” he said.

“The treatment and surgeries we will be embarking on to treat Selvin is a well-documented procedure and we will do all things necessary to save Selvin’s leg.”

Dr McCaig has 22 years of experience in medicine and specialises in bone, joint and trauma care.

PSH Hospitals founder and chief executive officer Parvish Kumar said his team wished Prasad a quick recovery.

“At PSH Hospitals, we are well-known across the Pacific for setting the trend and introducing new and rare medical technologies across the board and our team wishes Selvin a quick recovery,” Kumar said.