A three-and-a-half-year-old girl who lost part of her ear in a stray dog attack will have to wait a few more years before undergoing reconstructive surgery.
Doctors had initially attempted to reattach the severed portion, but the procedure failed, and the attached part had to be removed due to an infection on Monday (October 27).
āThe doctors have asked us to wait until she turns seven. They said skin from her thigh could be used to reconstruct the ear once she grows older,ā said the girlās father, Mirash M.S.
According to him, doctors had earlier cautioned that there was only a 50% chance of the surgery succeeding. The upper portion of the girlās earāabout two inches in sizeāwas lost in the attack. Although the family managed to preserve the severed part, an infection following surgery necessitated its removal.
Mr. Mirash, a construction worker, said he has been unable to return to work since the incident. His wife, who was employed as a saleswoman at a store, has also stopped working. The family claimed the initial surgery cost over ā¹1 lakh, while the subsequent procedure to remove the reattached part cost over ā¹20,000.
The child was attacked by a rabid stray dog earlier this month while playing with her sister and cousin at Neendur near North Paravur. She was first taken to a nearby government hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Kochi.
She is due for one more anti-rabies shot in November.
Published ā October 31, 2025 08:26 pm IST
