The operation performed on Sadık Gözel, who has been struggling with elephantiasis for 18 years, is the first of its kind in the world.
60-Year-Old Sadık Gözel Survived Elephant Disease with the First Surgery in the World in Istanbul
Sadık Gözel, 60 years old, living in Istanbul, got rid of elephantiasis with a surgery performed for the first time in the world due to the targeted specific area. This operation is also the first successful surgery for elephantiasis in Turkey.
Acıbadem University Atakent Hospital Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Veli Karaaltın stated that treatment options for elephantiasis, also known as lymphedema, are very limited. He defined lymphedema as a condition caused by congenital or acquired abnormalities in the lymph nodes or lymphatic pathways, causing swelling in the affected body part due to the inability to drain the lymph fluid from the tissues.
Karaaltın explained that patients with such conditions are often referred to non-therapeutic or conservative methods and therefore continue to live with the disease. He stated that the nature of the disease negatively affects the patient’s quality of life. He explained that the disease progresses in stages, initially forming swelling in the affected area and eventually turning into the severe form known as elephantiasis.
‘SURGERY IS A FIRST IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF THE AREA IT TARGETS’
Karaaltın, tropikal bölgelerde daha sık görülen benzer hastalıklarda cerrahi yöntemlerin kısıtlı olduğunu belirterek, bu cerrahinin öncelikli amacının alanda öncü bir başarı elde etmekten ziyade hastanın sağlığına kavuşması olduğunu vurguladı.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Karaaltın continued as follows: “The surgery is the first of its kind in the world in terms of the region it targets in the human body. It is the first successful surgery for elephantiasis in Turkey. Essentially, we transplanted a lymph node from another region. The neck region is rich in lymph nodes. We prepared it with microsurgical techniques and transferred it to the affected area. Thank God it was successful. We are currently on day 10. Everything seems to be fine and the tissue is alive. This method will be promising for such patients. It may represent the most advanced point of today’s microsurgical techniques. We hope this solution will be beneficial for patients. In other words, we transferred lymph nodes from the neck together with their vessels to the non-functioning lymph nodes and vessels in the testicles.”
‘THIS METHOD HAS A HIGHER SUCCESS RATE’
Karaaltın stated that the course of the disease changed with the transplantation and the patient’s quality of life increased, “We can now say that there is a solution for lymphedema patients. When Sadık came, his testicles were swollen to five times their normal size.”
He explained that they surgically reduced the size of the patient’s testicles and took measures to prevent the disease from recurring. Although the prevalence of elephantiasis in Turkey is not very high, it has reached a significant number. Karaaltın noted that treatments for this disease usually include medication and some surgical methods. “However, our method is more effective. In other methods, lymph vessels are found and transferred to the venous system. Our approach is more physiological, more rational and has a higher chance of success.”
THE DISEASE STARTED WITH A COLD
Sadık Gözel explained that his disease started with a cold he had in 1996, which caused pain in his lower back, spread to his genital area and caused oedema. He said that serious wounds were formed in the affected area and that he struggled with the disease for a long time, that he received treatment from various doctors and used different medications, but he was not successful. Gözel said, ‘I had difficulty in performing ablution, praying and other activities due to my illness. Now, thank God, I have regained my health.’
Source:https://www.ntv.com.tr/saglik/fil-hastaliginda-dunyada-ilk,0hQHGNvtz0GPJfs3D1SAxg
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