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First phase of rare surgery performed on tribal girl

Correspondent

Her jaws have been protruding due to gingival growth and has unusual body hair growth

CUTTACK: A team of doctors at SCB medical college and hospital here has begun a rare surgery on a 16-year-old girl who has developed unusual hair growth on her entire body while her jaws protruding due to massive gingival growth.

Rebati Kahnra, a tribal girl from Boudh district was admitted to the hospital last week where she was kept under observation by the doctors headed by periodontal plastic surgeon Suryakant Narendra. “She was operated on June 25 and 26 and was allowed to take rest for three days”, said the surgeon, adding that the operation would resume again on Monday.

“This is a case of hereditary disorder carrying auto-somal dominant trait where the gene expression is directed towards massive gingival enlargement accompanied with massive hair growth distributed unevenly at unusual parts of the body”, Surykant, who is an assistant professor in the dental wing said.

It is not a rare phenomenon, the doctor informed, saying that many people suffer from this disorder with only 30 to 40 percent trait. “But in the case of Rebati, the disorder trait is 100 percent and therefore the surgery is risky”, he added.

The doctors are working under the direct supervision of department head Niranjan Satapathy and hospital superintendent D.N. Moharana has extended all support including the treatment cost , Moharana informed.

Rebati’s case was first brought to the limelight by an anthropology teacher of Utkal University .

“We contacted the girl in her native village in Boudh and convinced her to come to the Cuttack for treatment”, Suryakant said.

The entire operation would go for another fortnight and after that we would go for the laser apiliation treatment to remove the unwanted hairs from her body, said the treating surgeon adding that they are planning to give a permanent treatment to the patient by destroying the original cells responsible for gingival growths.

Doctors say that unusual growths of gingival in the jaws are responsible for the massive hair growth and it is not vice- versa.

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