Durban - A medical assessment by a private medical team discovered that the woman who was savaged by her bosses’ three pit bulls also suffered extensive eyelid, upper limb and lower limb injuries.
A Johannesburg-based specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery, Dr Bruce Lelala indicated that Selina Kokolosi has internal injuries that had not been seen by her previous medical team.
In his assessment, Lelala stated that 47-year-old Kokolosi needed to undergo an urgent surgical process as her body tissue in the affected areas was dying.
In the report, he said she suffered the total loss of her nose, there was remnant septal cartilage and in some areas cartilage was left exposed.
“On her lower limbs, she has suffered a chronic non-healing wound on the right lower limb over the Achilles tendon and extensive large defects on proximal and distal tib/fib. The patient also has some degree of lymphedema.
“On her right forearm, she suffered a defect on the right distal ulna area; ulnar nerve is intact. She has severe damage to her mid-face bilateral,” he said.
Lelala explained that Kokolosi needed to undergo an urgent first-stage surgery at the beginning of May to prevent her from developing more infections and to reconstruct her body.
He said the duration of the first surgical process was expected to be 10 to 12 hours.
“During this initial stage, we will do a facial reconstruction on her lower eyelid. She will also require an ophthalmologist for stenting of the canaliculus if the scaring is not severe; total nasal reconstruction with forehead flap and costal cartilage; a midface reconstruction with large bilateral advancement cervicofacial flaps or supraclavicular pedicled flaps; an upper lip reconstruction with Fujimori gate flaps, or Estlander flap or a free flap.”
She would also require “a left ear reconstruction – costal cartilage insertion and converse pocket; wound debridement and vac dressing in her right lower limb.”
Detailing the second surgical stage, Lelala said the process would focus on scar excision on the right temporal area and the creation of the hairline with a scalp rotation advancement flap, the thinning of the forehead flap, an Abbe flap to create the upper lip philtrum, raising of the left ear flap, and the insertion of screws for the right artificial ear as she no longer had enough pliable skin for right ear reconstruction.
The third and last stage will focus on the forehead flap division, a division of the Abbe flap, fat grafting of the midface, and refinement of Kokolosi’s flaps.
Furthermore, Lelala said an extensive team was required for Kokolosi’s surgical reconstruction process, including a plastic and reconstructive surgeon (lead surgeon), an assistant surgeon and an anaesthetic consultant.
“In addition, we need an ophthalmologist; ear, nose and throat surgeon; prosthetist; a full theatre team of professional nurses; wound nurse; physiotherapist; dietician; occupational therapist; and a psychologist.”
Post the operation, Lelala said Kokolosi would need to spend at least a week in ICU or high care and another week in a surgical ward for wound care.
Kokolosi’s nephew, Tebogo Kokolosi, who spoke on behalf of his aunt, told the Daily News that the family was grateful for the medical assessment conducted by Lelala. He urged the public to support his aunt through the recovery process and said that the family was struggling to raise funds.
Kokolosi worked as a domestic worker at the home of Chandre van der Linde and her partner Marno Moster when she was attacked by the on-the-loose dogs. In her three years of employment, she earned R1 000 per month.
Daily News