San Francisco — In an extremely rare procedure, surgeons at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco successfully reattached a woman’s forehead and scalp.
ABC News reports that Sonya Dominguez of Stockton, Calif., got her hair caught in machinery while working in a warehouse. Quick action by emergency responders and surgeons was crucial to the operation’s success, according to the report.
Using microsurgical techniques, surgeons were able to reattach Ms. Dominguez’ forehead and scalp. Doctors had to repair and connect six blood vessels with the aid of a microscope in order to save the scalp. Each of the six vessels is about the size of mechanical pencil lead.
"For having an entire scalp and forehead, it's extremely rare. There's probably a couple dozen reported cases in the world," said surgeon Gregory Buncke, M.D. The first such surgery was performed by his father, Harry Buncke, M.D., in 1976.
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