Last Wednesday night a packing house worker arrived at the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center Emergency Room after his ear had become trapped in one of the machines, and was almost completely torn off. Following a series of tests intended to rule out further harm or damage to his skull, the 28-year-old man was taken for surgery under regional anesthesia to reattach the auricle.
“This surgery required restoration of all the parts of the ear cartilage,” notes Dr. Maayan Dor, a doctor in the ENT – Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery Unit at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, who performed the surgery. “The entire area was torn to shreds and it required meticulous surgery to reattach the cartilage, and later to join the skin in the best possible way.”
Dr. Maayan Dor and Dr. Itzhak Braverman while examining the ear which was reattached at Hillel Yaffe
After the surgery, the man was hospitalized for supervision and supportive care, including antibiotics, to prevent possible infection.
Unit Director, Dr. Itzhak Braverman, who examined the patient the next day notes, “after several tests which we carried out, it seems there is good blood flow in the region, and that no internal damage was caused, and therefore, it appears his hearing was not damaged.” He added that, “the man will be released home today and return for a checkup in the next few days.”