Boy's Lifesaving Surgery Reconnects Leg Backward

[Chris_]

Boy's Lifesaving Surgery Reconnects Leg Backward

FOSTORIA, Ohio— A rare cancer surgery is the only way Dugan Smith, 13, could play baseball again. That is all the teenager needed to hear. Nearly three years ago, when Smith was 10, he noticed soreness in his right knee after sliding.

"When I was ten years old I realized I was limping a lot and I broke my leg and realized I had cancer," Dugan said.

What he thought was just a limp turned out to be a malignant tumor on the thigh bone.

The rare procedure he chose is called Van Ness Rotation-Plasty, a surgery performed by Dr. Joel Mayerson of Ohio State's James Cancer Hospital.

Fox News

Awesome story, but it's a little creepy.  There's a video at the link.

[mamacags]

My sound is out on the computer.  Do they state in the video the benefits of doing that kind of repair surgery.  I would think a simple amputation would work better than having a basically useless foot turned backward left at knee level.

[Chris_]

According to the article, it was the only option that would allow the leg to continue growing.

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

I think i'd rather have one of those steel band legs!