Sixty-two-year-old Raju is a relieved man today. A resident of Binnamangala, a small lesion near the left angle of his mouth, gradually grew into a long cutaneous horn. Although he was able to talk and carry out routine activities, the presence of the ugly protuberance was a blot on his face.
Thanks to doctors at the State-run Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, Mr. Raju is now free of the 4.1-inch horn, which was removed after a 75-minute surgery on Friday. A team of doctors, led by M. Shankarappa, head of the Department of Plastic Surgery, conducted the surgery and reconstructed the angle of the mouth and cheek. Dr. Shankarappa told The Hindu that the patient, a casual labourer, had come to the hospital on May 7. “Though he had no major problem connected to the protruding horn, he wanted it removed. As he has diabetes, blood pressure, renal disease and related ailments, the excision was done on local anaesthesia. He is doing well and will be discharged in a week,” he said.
Dr. Shankarappa was assisted by S.I.S. Khadri, head of the Department of Surgery and his team comprising assistant professors T. Kemparaju and S.R. Vivek, apart from Ramachandra, professor of anaesthesia.
According to Dr. Kemparaju, the cutaneous horn was a recurring problem for the patient.
He had first noticed the growth two years ago, which disappeared after some time. It reappeared six months ago and grew to a length of 4.1 inches.
Free of cost
The surgery, which would otherwise have cost the patient nearly Rs. 1.5 lakh in a private hospital, was done for free at Bowring Hospital. “Even if he was charged, the cost would have been a mere Rs. 5,000, including the surgery cost and medicines,” Dr. Shankarappa added.
