In an extraordinary medical feat in Israel, doctors successfully reattached the head of 12-year-old Suleiman Hassan following a severe bicycle accident. Hassan, from the West Bank, experienced an internal decapitation, where his skull was dislocated from the top vertebra of his spine. He was quickly transported to Hadassah Medical Center, where the immediate surgery involved the use of innovative plates and fixations.
Dr. Ohad Einav, the orthopedic specialist leading the procedure, attributed the success to advanced technology and the team’s knowledge. Although the survival rate was predicted to be just 50%, Hassan made a miraculous recovery. The boy was recently released from the hospital with a cervical splint, showing no neurological deficits and capable of walking independently.
Hassan’s father stayed at his bedside throughout recovery, expressing gratitude to the medical team. Dr. Marc Siegel, a Clinical Professor of Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, suggested that such an operation relies heavily on preserving cerebral blood flow, which might have involved orthopedic reconstruction. Dr. Einav stressed the rarity of such a procedure, particularly in children, highlighting the need for exceptional knowledge and experience in these cases.
