Kiribati boy undergoes successful reconstructive ear surgery in Taiwan

A farewell party was held yesterday at the hospital for nine-year-old Teuea Kautabea ahead of his departure Sept. 27.

Both of the boy's ears were bitten off by wild dogs in November 2007 as he was trying to protect his own pet dog from an attack by the wild animals.

After the Kiribati Embassy approached Mackay Memorial Hospital about medical assistance for the boy, arrangements were made for him to arrive in Taiwan Jan. 10 for autologous reconstruction procedures.

According to Tung Kuang-yi, head of the hospital's plastic surgery department, the procedures involved harvesting rib cartilage from the boy and shaping the tissues into a framework for the new ears, which were then transplanted temporarily into his arms and allowed to grow.

The tissues were later removed from the patient's arms and transplanted onto his head, Tung said.

Two months later, another procedure was performed to give Kautabea's new ears a more authentic shape, Tung said.

Shih Shou-chuan, the hospital's deputy superintendent, said Kautabea is not required to undergo any other ear surgery or treatment because the new ears are permanent appendages.

However, the hospital will continue to keep track of Kautabea's condition after he returns to Kiribati, Shih said.

During his stay in Taiwan, Kautabea was given accommodation and language lessons by the Ronald McDonald House Charities, according to the hospital.

The boy can now speak simple Mandarin Chinese, with the first Mandarin words he learned being “hao tong,” which means “it hurts,” the hospital said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Chin-tien Yang, who also attended Saturday's party, said Kautabea's case demonstrates that Taiwan's devotion to medical diplomacy will eventually spread the compassion and enthusiasm of the Taiwanese people to every corner of the world.

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