A TEEN who had her skull put inside her stomach to help save her life after being hit by a car has thanked medics after a miracle recovery.
Chelsey Smith was 15 when she was rushed to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow in a critical condition after the collision.
Doctors found that she had a potentially deadly amount of swelling on her brain and decided to remove part of her skull and store it inside her stomach to protect it from potential infection.
The ground-breaking procedure took place in the middle of the night and lasted around four hours. Thankfully for Chelsey and her family, it was a success.
Consultant paediatric neurosurgeon Roddy O’Kane, who performed the surgery, said: “This procedure is not something that we do every day but it gave Chelsey the best chance of surviving the injuries she had sustained during the accident.
“We take part of the skull out and store it in the stomach in order to keep it sterile. This is usually re-attached after a couple of months once the swelling has reduced.
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“Chelsey’s recovery is absolutely remarkable, based on her condition when she arrived it is incredible to see how well she is doing. There was a real danger to her life and we also anticipated that there would be more of a lasting impact on her life."
Following intensive rehab, Chelsey, who is now 16, has made a remarkable recovery and, less than a year after her final operation, was a guest of honour at the Royal Hospital for Children's Major Trauma Centre training day on Wednesday.
The brave teenager from Newarthill in North Lanarkshire, said: “I just can’t thank all of the team here for everything they have done for me. They have saved me and given me my life back.
“I don’t remember much about the day of the accident to be honest, but I’m here now and that’s what matters. I have had so much support from Roddy, my major trauma co-ordinator Lynsay Stewart, all of the staff at the hospital and of course my family.
“Roddy was able to magically take a part of my skull and put it in my stomach to let the swelling reduce in my brain. I don’t really know how it works but it’s amazing. It has been a long journey, and I would tell anyone who is in a similar situation to just keep going.
"To make this type of recovery you have to be mentally prepared for it and thankfully I had so many positive people around me to help with that.”
Chelsey is now back preparing for her exams at Brannock High and is hoping to go on to study accountancy at university.
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She adds: “Obviously everything that happened was not good, but thanks to the Royal Hospital for Children team in Glasgow I have been able to get back to school and have also started a part-time job.
“I just want to say thank you again to everyone for all they have done for me. Even after my follow-up appointments are finished, I’ll keep coming back to visit as I have missed them all.”
Roddy added: “We are all so proud of her and all of the hard work she has put in during her rehab with our specialist teams. We’re delighted for her and her family and were all beaming from ear to ear when we got to see her again today.”
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