After a car accident, a 16-year-old from Vorarlberg was threatened with the amputation of his left leg. But that could have been prevented in the Innsbruck clinic with a lot of medical creativity.
Beritan Cankaya from Vorarlberg shines when he talks about his future. The 18-year-old has big plans: he wants to study and finally play football again at his club. A little over a year ago, the view of the future was shaped by only one question: how can Beritan manage everyday life with only one leg?
Fracture could not heal due to infection
“An amputation of the leg was under discussion,” recalls Rohit Arora, director of the Innsbruck Clinic for Orthopedics and Traumatology. Arora guided the youngster’s ordeal. In a car accident in 2020, Beritan suffered an open fracture of the femur. But the bone could not heal because of an infection. “We had to remove a large piece and try to close the gap by transporting bone,” Arora describes the procedure.
Hope was great. But patient and doctors were disappointed: the bone fragments slipped away again. “I can hardly describe my feelings at that time. It was just terrible,” says the man from Vorarlberg and looks at his mother, who stood by him during the difficult time.
More than 8 inches of bone was needed
As the patient expected the worst, the process largely responsible for modern medicine’s success in the clinic began: interdisciplinary teamwork. This is based on the interaction of doctors from different disciplines. In the delicate case of Beritan, reconstructive surgery was central. Dolores Wolfram-Raunicher, senior physician at the responsible clinic, explains the big challenge: “We needed more than 20 centimeters of bone to bridge and vessels to supply the bone.”
The doctors found what they were looking for on the lower leg. A large part of the fibula was removed along with the vessels and transplanted into the femur. “We left the parts that are important for the knee and ankle in the lower leg,” says Wolfram-Raunicher, referring to an established process that is not commonplace, however.
After eleven operations – the longest lasted 15 hours – the fear is finally over. Beritan’s leg has been saved, the fibula is developing well in its new environment and will continue to grow. “Then you hardly see a difference,” explains Arora. And football? The doctor nods. Nothing contradicts him.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
