Xi'an (CNS)--After being assaulted by a black bear, Tibetan man Sangixi lost almost his entire face and more than 30 facial bones. In Xi'an, the capital city of Shaanxi Province, Sangixi received his first surgery Thursday afternoon, which will gradually allow him to live his normal life again.
Sangixi, now 37, lives in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. His injury occurred 10 days ago when he was gathering herbs on a snowy mountain 4,800 meters above sea level. He was assaulted by a black bear, giving him multiple soft tissue injuries on his body and face. During the tragic incident, the skin on his right eyelid was damaged, leaving his eye overexposed.
On June 22, Sangixi survived the attack and was sent to the Xijing Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University, located in Xi'an. Further surgeries to repair his face and recover his facial functions were all booked.
Yesterday, during a four-hour surgery that was much like fitting his face like a jigsaw puzzle, Sangixi got titanium plates in the right-side of his face.
Assistant professor Shu Maoguo, the leading medical professional who took part in Sangixi's surgery, told CNS that more surgeries in the future will repair his facial and eyelid skin.
