Medical Miracle: Israel Doctors Reattach Boy's Head After Accident

Hadassah Medical Center made headlines on Wednesday when its surgeons accomplished an extraordinary feat: reattaching the head of a 12-year-old boy to his neck following a severe bicycle accident involving a car.

The Jerusalem hospital has now opened up on the remarkable success of the complex operation.

Suleiman Hassan, a West Bank resident of Palestinian descent, was transported by air to the trauma unit at Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem. Medical examinations revealed a severe injury to the ligaments connecting the base of his skull to the top vertebrae of his spine, resulting in its detachment. This condition, referred to as bilateral atlanto occipital joint dislocation or internal decapitation in orthopaedic terms, was diagnosed.

"We fought for the boy's life," said Dr Ohad Einav, the orthopaedic specialist who operated on the patient together with Dr Ziv Asa, told The Times Of Israel. "The procedure itself is very complicated and took several hours. While in the operating room, we used new plates and fixations in the damaged area... Our ability to save the child was thanks to our knowledge and the most innovative technology in the operating room," Einav said.

Suleiman Hassan has been discharged from the hospital with a cervical splint. However, he will continue to be carefully monitored by the Hadassah staff.

"The fact that such a child has no neurological deficits or sensory or motor dysfunction, and that he is functioning normally and walking without an aid after such a long process, is no small thing," Einav said.

According to a 2003 report from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, out of the 2006 patients who received treatment for spinal cord injuries from 1983 to 2003, a mere 16 individuals were found to have experienced occipital joint dislocation.

"The injury is extremely rare, but we do know that because children between ages four and 10 have heads that are large in relation to their bodies, they are more susceptible than adults," Einav stated.

Internal decapitation carries a low survival rate, often leading to fatal outcomes in most cases. Although limited evidence suggests that children have a higher chance of survival compared to adults, there is insufficient data available for a comprehensive comparison between children and adolescents.

According to the hospital, the father of Hassan was by his bedside during his recovery from the surgery. "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. What saved him were professionalism, technology and quick decision-making by the trauma and orthopaedics team. All I can say is a big thank you," the website quotes him as telling the medical staff.