'U' surgeons pioneer scalp replacement

In one of the first successful surgeries of its kind in the United States, University doctors succeeded in re-attaching a woman's scalp that had been detached from her head in a machinery dye press Friday morning.

Kevin Chung, a University hand surgeon who performed the 10-hour operation on the patient, Teresa Lasko, said that despite adverse conditions, the operation was a success.

"She's very strong and understands what happened," Chung said. "She's optimistic. Ninety-five percent of the scalp is in perfect condition, and the accident came nowhere close to harming the brain."

Lasko was operating a light bulb dye press at the Fort James Corporation in Perrysburg, Ohio when the machine jammed. As she bent down to clear the machine, the press lifted up and ripped her entire scalp off of her head, most likely from the back to the front, said Jeff Lasko, the victim's husband.

After rushing the victim to St. Luke's Hospital in neighboring Toledo, doctors suggested that the University's plastic surgeons would be the best surgeons to perform for the operation, which needed to be done immediately.

"We're happy. Dr. Chung is second to God for me right now," Jeff Lasko said.

Lasko talked to his wife for the first time today and said that his wife is fully aware of her situation.

"We wrote notes to each other before I could speak with her. She kept on saying that she can't forget. She'll always remember what happened," Lasko said.

The victim's scalp, which was sliced one centimeter deep around the hairline, was kept in ice and remained alive for the duration of the transport. Her head was tightly wrapped to prevent bleeding, Chung said.

During the operation, doctors isolated two main sets of arteries and veins to control blood flow, and then used veins from the patient's leg to aid in the re-attachment of the scalp.

Chung said blood vessels retracted during the accident, causing a gap in the blood flow process. Doctors used the veins from her leg, approximately 10 cm long and 1.5 mm wide, to fill the gap.

During the microsurgery, Chung said hundreds of nylon needles were used to sew the wound. The needles were so small they could not be seen by nurses and required the use of a microscope.

Chung said he is still concerned about post-surgery risk, including infection and improper connection of blood vessels.

"I'm still concerned until she leaves the hospital," Chung said.

Chung said records of 30 to 40 surgeries of this kind have ever been published, making the procedure "very unusual."

"This was a very rare event, and success was difficult to achieve," Chung said.

The operation began about six hours after the accident, a time period that Chung said was crucial in the re-attaching.

Before mid-afternoon yesterday, Lasko had spent two and a half days in the Intensive Care Unit. She is expected to be released in one week.

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