In a remarkable display of medical expertise, surgeons at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem have successfully reattached the head of a 12-year-old cyclist to his neck following a severe accident. Suleiman Hassan, a Palestinian boy from the West Bank, was the victim of a rare and often fatal condition known as "internal decapitation" after being hit by a motorist while cycling.
12-year-old Suleiman Hassan at Hadassah Medical Centre, after doctors reattached his head to his neck following a collision with a motorist (Hadassah Medical Centre)
Suleiman was airlifted to Hadassah Hospital's trauma unit in Ein Kerem, where it was discovered that the impact had caused significant damage to the ligaments and muscle at the base of his skull, leaving it detached from the top vertebrae of his spine. Despite the severity of the injury, the skin and major blood vessels remained intact.
Internal decapitation is an extremely rare condition, with survival rates being notably low. A study conducted in 2021 found that 55 percent of children and adolescents suffering from this injury do not survive the initial impact, transport to the hospital, surgery, or recovery.
Suleiman underwent several hours of intricate surgery in early June, where doctors fused the base of his skull to the spinal column using screws, rods, plates, and potentially bone grafts. Following a successful recovery period, Suleiman was discharged from the hospital and will continue to be monitored by the medical staff in the coming months.
Dr. Ohad Einav, an orthopaedic specialist who performed the procedure, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome. "The procedure itself is very complicated and took several hours. The injury is extremely rare, but we do know that because children between ages four and ten have heads that are large in relation to their bodies, they are more susceptible than adults," he said.
Suleiman's father expressed his gratitude to the medical team at Hadassah Hospital, stating, "I will thank you all my life for saving my dear only son. Bless you all. Thanks to you he regained his life even when the odds were low and the danger was obvious."
This miraculous recovery is a testament to the professionalism, technology, and quick decision-making of the trauma and orthopaedics team at Hadassah Hospital. It is a reminder of the important work that Hadassah Australia supports, contributing to life-saving procedures and medical advancements at Hadassah Hospital and Hadassah Medical Centre.