American, Afghan docs begin surgical process for young burn victim

Published March 9, 2010
By Tech. Sgt. Renni Thornton
451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan -- That day was like many other days before.

That day, Abdul Rahman was cooking for himself. That day, like many other days, he was home alone.

That was not unusual--his father, Abdul Ghafer, worked long hours as a mechanic nearby and Abdul Rahman often found himself home alone for a little while.

That day, like most days, he had gone to school. And that day, like most, he returned home, alone. And that day, Abdul Rahman was hungry when he came home from school, and he wanted some eggs.

That day, Abdul Rahman decided to cook for himself. That was the day that changed everything.

Nothing would ever be the same after that day.

And so, Abdul Rahman began to cook some eggs. His family does not have electric heating plates. They don't own a microwave or stove. So, he had to add an accelerant to the heating unit. And he did, as usual.

But on that day, some of the liquid splashed on his clothes.

Abdul continued to prepare to cook the eggs. He placed the pan over the heating unit and struck a match to light the fire.

His clothes ignited.

And Abdul Rahman was burned on his chest--severely burned.

His father managed to get him to a doctor many miles away, but the hospital staff there were only able to provide limited care and after five days, he was released.

So, Abdul Rahman was sent home to heal.

In doing so, he lay in bed on his back. His injuries were so significant that he could not move much. Over a period of months, Abdul Rahman laid there in bed, unable to move and in severe pain most of the time. Over time, his chin had rested on his chest and his burns fused his neck to his chin.

But March 1, six months after the accident, he and his father began a new journey.

On this day, an American facial thoracic surgeon and an Afghan medical team from Kandahar Regional Medical Hospital partnered to help this family begin the journey to recovery.

"We were told of the patient and his injuries from a medical staff at a provincial hospital in Farah province, several hundred miles away where he lives. He was taken there by his father who traveled several miles to get him there for treatment," said U.S. Air Force Col. Lorn Heyne, director, medical training advisory group at Kandahar Regional Medical Hospital.

Colonel Heyne contacted a medical advisor at RC-South who is also a cranial-facial surgeon and dentist. U.S. Army Dr. (Lt. Col.) Barry Steinberg consulted on the case and offered to help.

Colonel Steinberg is here as a medical advisor working with the Afghanistan National Security Forces at RC-South, but he offered his services to the regional hospital, should they need him while on this deployment.

The surgery lasted five hours. Colonel Steinberg said Abdul did very well during the surgery and the Afghan medical team did a fantastic job.

"We discussed the surgery first, talked about the procedure and what steps were going to be taken a few days before the surgery," said Colonel Steinberg. "The Afghan medical team here is tremendous. They will do well in any hospital."

This was just the first step, said Colonel Steinberg. During this surgery, skin graphs were taken from the boy's thighs and placed on his neck. A soft cervical collar was placed under his neck atop the dressing to keep his airway open and allow the graphing to heal.

Additional surgeries needed will include removal of scarring so Abdul can move his arms fully, and eventually he will need surgery to heal the open chest wound from the burns, said Colonel Steinberg. That will probably require extended care, he said.

In the States, this procedure would be a series of surgeries, probably taking about seven or eight months if his burns had been treated right away. Recovery time for Abdul is likely to take up to 18 months, said Colonel Steinberg.

One of the best parts of this surgical procedure is the continued partnership between the Afghan medical staff and the advisory team.

"This is the first time this type of surgery has been performed here. This allowed the medical team here to learn a new procedure. We have an excellent facility and we will help him get better. The staff gets to learn new procedures so that they can help other patients who may be severely injured. Doing this will help build a bridge between the community and the staff here," said Afghan National Army Air Corps Col. Elaj Basear, hospital director.

The journey thus far has been difficult for Abdul Ghafer and his son. Abdul Rahman is tormented by some of the other kids where he lives, said his father.

The kids throw rocks at him and his son tries to cover up so that his injuries and his physical condition cannot be seen, he said.

Eating and sleeping have been difficult for him too. His father said his son is embarrassed for people to see him.

Often food or drool escapes from the corners of his mouth.

"My skin bothers me. And my neck is attached to my chest. I am scared of my face in the mirror. I look like a monster," said the 13 year old.

While he said he is afraid of the surgery, he is also glad the doctors will be able to help him because there are no doctors where he lives.