Skin grafts on girl bitten by cobra a success

The case against a male nurse who allegedly raped a terminally ill cancer patient in a Bloemfontein hospital has been postponed.

The case against a male nurse who allegedly raped a terminally ill cancer patient in a Bloemfontein hospital has been postponed.

Published Jan 12, 2012

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Skin grafts performed on the arm of a girl, 5, who was bitten by a Mozambican spitting cobra shortly before Christmas have been a success and she is well on her way to recovery.

This is the word from Dr Kobie Marais, head of nursing at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital.

Mikayla Robbertse, underwent surgery on her left arm on Tuesday last week. A team of plastic surgeons performed a split skin graft on her upper arm and then attached her hand to her groin in a procedure known as a “groin flap”.

The healthy skin in her groin area assisted with skin growth and blood flow in her hand damaged by the snake’s poison which had spread through the tissue.

“The skin on her upper arm is healing beautifully. In two weeks’ time we will know if the skin on her hand has taken successfully.

“We are very confident that the procedure was a success,” Marais said.

Mikayla’s grandmother, Charmaine Robbertse, said on Wednesday that Mikayla was back to her old self.

“She is walking around, playing princess and colouring in. She is a real busy bee,” Robbertse said.

Robbertse said Mikayla understood that she had to keep her arm as still as possible. “I’m trying to entertain her (with) DVDs on my laptop. Kung Fu Panda and Barbie are her favourites.”

Mikayla’s grandfather Bertus will this weekend see her for the first time after her surgery. He had to return to their Lephalale farm last week.

“He is so excited. He will not believe his eyes when he sees how well she is doing,” Robbertse said.

Mikayla was bitten by a cobra on her hand and elbow on the family farm 8km outside Lephalale soon after going to bed on December 19.

She was taken to the state hospital in Lephalale and treated with antivenom before being transferred to Steve Biko hospital. - Pretoria News

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