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Success! Somnang from Cambodia raised $673 to fund leg surgery.

Somnang
100%
  • $673 raised, $0 to go
$673
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Somnang's treatment was fully funded on November 29, 2022.
June 8, 2022

Somnang is a 17-year-old fisherman. He has one brother and two sisters, and his father is also a fisherman. In his free time, Somnang enjoys swimming, playing football, and meeting with his friends to go for a walk.

A year ago, Somnang was in an accident while steering his fishing boat at sea, injuring his left knee. Prior to the accident, Somnang had noticed a growth on this knee, but since the accident, the mass has increased in size, and it causes him pain.

Somnang’s neighbor suggested that he travel to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, to see if they could help. Now doctors have diagnosed a benign tumor on his leg, which needs to be removed. On June 8th, surgeons at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre will perform a tumor excision, which will enable Somnang to live without pain and discomfort in his leg. Now, Children’s Surgical Centre is seeking $673 to fund his medical care and procedure.

Somnang says: “I am really hoping after this surgery my knee is healed and I can fish again.”

Somnang is a 17-year-old fisherman. He has one brother and two sisters, and his father is also a fisherman. In his free time, Somnang enjoys...

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Somnang's Timeline

  • June 8, 2022
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Somnang was submitted by Sieng Heng at Children's Surgical Centre.

  • June 8, 2022
    TREATMENT SCHEDULED

    Somnang was scheduled to receive treatment at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre in Cambodia. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.

  • June 13, 2022
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Somnang's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • November 29, 2022
    FULLY FUNDED

    Somnang's treatment was fully funded.

  • TODAY
    AWAITING UPDATE

    Awaiting Somnang's treatment update from Children's Surgical Centre.

Funded by 6 donors

Funded by 6 donors

Treatment
Excision and Flap Surgery
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $673 for Somnang's treatment
Hospital Fees
$126
Medical Staff
$496
Medication
$0
Supplies
$43
Labs
$3
Radiology
$5
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Flap surgery is used for large or complex wound repair. The wound may be too large to be closed directly or may not be amenable to grafting due to poor vascularization. A flap may also be favorable to grafting due to function or aesthetics. Such a wound can be caused by trauma, cancer, or burns, which may bring about disfigurement, pain, and exposure to infection.

​What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

Large wounds are disfiguring, and patients may face stigmatization and social rejection. Wounds will be prone to recurrent infections, which may cause further damage to the underlying tissue. Depending on the site of the wound, there may be functional loss and the patient may lose the ability to perform tasks independently.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

For many Cambodians, the primary mode of transport is the motorcycle. Coupled with unregulated traffic and dangerous driving practices, motorcycle accidents are very common. Soft tissue injuries arising from these accidents are often large and complex, with flap surgery being the best approach to avoid skin necrosis or infection.

  • Process
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Risks and side-effects
  • Accessibility
  • Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

Analysis of the wound location, vascularity of the wound bed, comorbidities, and cosmetic and functional significance must first be performed. Flaps can then be selected accordingly, with local and regional flaps being preferred over distant pedicled or free flaps. Prior to the skin transfer, debridement may be needed to remove dead or damaged skin. Local and regional flaps use adjacent tissue that is mobilized then advanced or pivoted into place. Distant flaps transfer tissue from a different part of the body and can be pedicled to preserve its original blood supply. The blood supply is cut off in free flaps and therefore will need to be joined to the local blood supply via microsurgery. Flap surgery can take anywhere from a short procedure for the most basic local flap, to many hours for the complex microsurgery associated with free flaps.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

Flap surgery allows the wound to heal much faster, avoiding infection risk and a long wait for the defect to develop scar tissue. In flap reconstructive surgery of an area of the body more aesthetically sensitive, such as the face, disfigurement is reduced and patients feel more confident.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

The most common cause of flap failure is vascular compromise. Loss of blood supply to the flap could lead to partial flap loss or even total flap necrosis. In the latter, the flap must be removed. Other complications include haematoma, seroma, surgical site infection, and complications specific to the donor site. However, all these complications can be avoided with regular post-op checks of the flap and acting quickly on any foreboding signs.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Flaps and other reconstructive surgical procedures are accessible at local clinics and hospitals at a cost, and patients also often turn to traditional healers. Inadequate treatment or poorly designed flaps can contribute to unnecessary complications and prolonged suffering. Patients travel as much as twelve hours to reach Children's Surgical Centre for free surgery, arriving by bus, motorbike, or taxi.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

Regular dressings with gauze and bandages can take many months and has a significant risk of infection, which may result in cutting away more tissue to treat it. Traditional medicine is available, but with unsuccessful results.

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100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Dennis

Dennis is the first born in a family of four children. When he finished high school, he was reluctant to join college because of his condition. He currently is not able to work because he gets easily tired and cannot carry heavy loads. He joined college just recently but has been out of school for the past two months. Now that he is at home, he helps his mother who picks tea for a living. He does not have a health insurance coverage and cannot raise the required amount of money to cater for his hospital bill. In 2019 while he was sitting for his national school exams, Dennis experienced sharp pain in his esophagus. He took a glass of water, and the pain went away for a few weeks. The pain used to occur roughly two times in a month and a glass of water would help a lot. Late last year, the pain worsened. He was not in a position to swallow food. He went to a herbalist and was given some medication to use for some time. When the dose was over, the pain was still persistent, and he still could not swallow food normally. He was then referred to Kijabe Hospital by a friend where he was examined and given some medication to use. He didn't feel better and decided to go back to the herbalist for different medication but there was no change. Later he finally returned to Kijabe Hospital and scans and tests revealed that he has Achalasia. He is scheduled for a heller's myotomy which is a curative laparotomy surgery for his condition. Now he needs $1,074 to pay for the surgery. Dennis says, "I feel very sad. If I was healthy, I would be able to work well and be comfortable with myself.”

58% funded

58%funded
$629raised
$445to go

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.