Kyrgyz Boy with 80% of His Scalp Damaged in Attack by Large Dogs Undergoes Reconstructive Surgery in Korea

Seoul Asan Medical Center Covers Skull with Skin Graft and Tissue Expansion
Treatment Arranged After Medical Team's Visit to Kyrgyzstan; All Costs Covered

A 6-year-old child from Kyrgyzstan whose scalp was damaged across about 80% of its area after he was attacked by three large dogs has recovered after undergoing scalp reconstruction surgery in Korea. The medical team at Seoul Asan Medical Center gradually expanded the remaining scalp and performed surgery to cover the skull.

Seoul Asan Medical Center said on October 21 that a team led by Professor Choi Jongwoo of the Department of Plastic Surgery had invited and treated Umar, a young patient from Kyrgyzstan whose scalp was damaged across about 80% of its area.

Omar's mother, Omar, and Professor Choi Jongwoo of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Asan Medical Center (from left) pose for a photo on October 14 to celebrate Omar's discharge. Asan Medical Center

In April, Umar was returning home after playing at a friend's house when he fell into a neighbor's yard and was attacked by large dogs there. His scalp was damaged across an area measuring about 25 cm by 25 cm, and he also suffered a skull fracture. At a local hospital, he received no treatment beyond antibiotics to prevent infection.

Umar's treatment came about after local medical staff sought help from a Seoul Asan Medical Center team that had visited Kyrgyzstan in April to share medical expertise. Since the complex surgery was difficult to perform locally, it was decided to bring him to Korea for treatment. The Asan Foundation and Seoul Asan Medical Center covered all of the treatment costs.

Umar arrived in Korea in July and underwent detailed examinations. Professor Choi's team also considered a free flap procedure, which would involve transplanting tissue from another part of the body, such as the thigh. However, they chose a different reconstruction method because Umar was too young to provide enough tissue for the procedure and hair would not grow in the transplanted area.

First, the medical team grafted skin from his thigh to create space for tissue expanders, then inserted three tissue expanders into the remaining scalp. Tissue expansion is a surgical procedure in which expanders are placed under the skin and filled with saline to gradually stretch the skin and scalp.

The medical team gradually expanded the scalp over more than two months. During treatment, the wound opened and Umar developed a fever, but the team managed these issues in consultation with the Departments of Dermatology, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, and Radiology. In late September, they removed the tissue expanders and performed reconstructive surgery to cover the exposed skull with the expanded scalp.

Umar shortly after the accident in April, when he was admitted to the National Children's Hospital of Kyrgyzstan (left), and Umar receiving his first medical consultation at Asan Medical Center in Seoul after arriving in Korea in July. Asan Medical Center

After completing treatment, Umar returned home in good health on October 15. On his first flight to Korea, he also shared his dream of becoming a pilot.

“We chose a method that made use of as much of his remaining scalp as possible, considering not only covering the defect but also the life he will lead as he grows up,” Professor Choi said. “I hope he continues to grow up healthy after returning to his home country and fulfills his dreams for the future.”

Through its “Asan in Asia” project, which supports medical self-reliance in Asian countries, Seoul Asan Medical Center shares medical expertise in countries including Mongolia and Vietnam. Since 2019, it has conducted 20 medical training programs in four countries. Since 2009, it has also carried out 60 overseas medical volunteer programs in 15 countries and runs a program that invites patients with serious conditions that are difficult to treat locally to Korea for free treatment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.