Hospital performs 24 plastic surgeries within 24 hours

New Delhi, July 16

A team of 17 surgeons at RML Hospital performed 24 plastic surgeries in 24 hours, setting a new record for the hospital. The youngest patient was a two-year-old boy who underwent cleft reconstruction, and the oldest was a 58-year-old female. A cyst was removed from her left eyebrow.

Most of the cases involved road accident victims requiring procedures such as amputation of an index finger, skin grafting, scar revision and flap thinning.

“The operation theatre marathon began at 9 am on Monday and continued for the next 24 hours until Tuesday. We chose patients whose surgeries had been postponed for various reasons and needed immediate care. The aim was to reduce the waiting time for surgery,” said Dr Sameek Bhattacharya, director professor and head of the department of burns and plastic surgery at RML.

He noted a 25-30 per cent increase in the number of people opting for plastic surgeries. According to doctors at the hospital, the most common procedure for men is gynecomastia surgery, which reduces breast size. Three such surgeries were performed during the marathon.

Dr Ajay Shukla, medical superintendent of the hospital, said, “We have patients born with facial defects, and plastic surgeons provide the final touch. They can restore the function and appearance of body parts affected by cancer. Plastic surgery has an important role to play.”