Karma looks forward to returning to his mountain home to meditate after his surgery. At 28 years old, he still has another four years of study as a novice Buddhist monk.
His journey has not been easy. After an accident with a stove left him with severe burns at just 7 months of age, he has faced many difficulties with his mobility and social life.
Growing up in a remote village in Bhutan, at the time his family struggled to access the specialist care their child needed. It was too far and expensive to reach a bigger hospital, so the doctors at their local health centre treated his injuries as best they could. Unfortunately, this meant that Karma’s fingers fused together in a tight ball with extremely little mobility.
Karma’s hand before his surgery.
Since starting his journey to become a monk, Karma told us how he struggled with his duties. He could not grip with both hands, could not play the drums in ceremonies like his peers and had difficulty completing expected parts of his studies while on retreat in the mountains.
When he heard Interplast were supporting the team in Bajo Hospital to provide specialist surgery to patients with conditions like his, he hoped he may finally have the opportunity to access the care he needed.
The surgery was complex, and the team had to operate without performing X-rays. They didn’t know exactly what they would find until opening the tight fist that Karma’s hand had become.
Dr Michael McCleave and Dr Sonam Jamtsho discuss their approach.
“There’s a couple of plans… it’s a bit unique. I want to try and deepen the webspace,” explained Dr McCleave, before Karma’s operation, “If I can create a webspace between his thumb and index finger, then that will give him [the ability] to pinch.”
Together, Dr McCleave and Dr Jamtsho undertook this operation with the support of the clinical team. Everything went smoothly, and though Karma will need to return to the hospital for further treatment, it is likely he will be able to grip small objects again. This will be vital step toward reclaiming both his independence and his role in his spiritual practice.
We hope to follow up with him on our next surgical program in Bhutan.
Karma with Interplast ambassador and program observer Sam Squiers after his successful surgery.
Acknowledgements
Karma’s surgery, and the rest of the incredible outcomes of this program, wouldn’t have been possible without Rotary Canning River and other generous funders. We also want to thank our volunteers and partners in Bhutan for their dedication, commitment and enthusiasm throughout the program.
