A 5-year-old from Ethiopia who underwent a 12-hour surgery in New York last month is breathing easier after doctors removed a life-threatening growth from her face and neck. Nagalem Alafa, whose case was handled by Dr. Teresa O and Dr. Milton Waner at Lenox Hill Hospital, was in danger of either suffocating or starving due to an inability to swallow if the tumor was not removed.
According to Northwell Health, the girl was also in danger of bleeding out in the event of even a small cut or fall on the playground. Nagalem was born with a vascular malformation on her head and neck region that had been rapidly growing since birth. On a scale of 1-10, Waner described the case as “about a 12.”
“This type of surgery is very, very difficult, very dangerous and certainly life-threatening,” he said in a press conference following the successful operation.
He explained that the growth was adherent to the girl’s jawbone, and due to the sheer size of the blood vessels the possibility of accidentally puncturing one during removal could have proved disastrous. The doctors, who have previously treated patients with venous malformations, said it was one of the most difficult procedures they’ve ever done.
