5TH SURGERY FOR BURNED BOY; CONTINUED PROGRESS PLEASES HIS DOCTORS.Byline: Steve Carney Staff Writer Although 11-year-old Russian burn patient Denis Denis, king of Portugal: see Diniz. Nefedov has undergone four surgeries, he still shivered with anxiety Tuesday before his latest operation, to reshape his nose and forehead. But all went well, and by that afternoon the youngster was recovering at the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks Hopital (SOH) is an 153 bed acute care facility in Sherman Oaks, California, USA and is home of world renowned the Grossman Burn Center. SOH is owned and operated by Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. , watching ``Tom and Jerry'' cartoons and playing video games See video game console. in between fitful fit·ful adj. Occurring in or characterized by intermittent bursts, as of activity; irregular. See Synonyms at periodic. fit naps. ``I feel good,'' he said through bandages that covered his face. ``He was brave. He didn't cry,'' said translator and ultrasound technician Tatiana Armbruster. Denis was severely burned nearly two years ago in a household accident, when a candle ignited gasoline fumes fumes odorous gases and other volatile materials; inhalation of irritating fumes causes coughing and, if sufficiently severe, irreversible pulmonary edema. at his home on Sakhalin Island Sakhalin Island Island, extreme eastern Russia. Together with the Kuril Islands, it forms an administrative region of Russia. It is 589 mi (948 km) long and a maximum of 100 mi (160 km) wide; it covers 29,500 sq mi (76,400 sq km). , near Japan. He came to the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. in March for a yearlong series of donated treatments at the burn center. Denis already had four operations to remove scars from his cheeks. Early on Tuesday, Dr. Richard Grossman and Dr. Matt Young operated on Denis' face again, cutting away the scars on his nose, forehead and upper lip. They also reconstructed his left eyebrow, and next week they will graft skin from his thigh onto the areas where they operated. ``You don't have these home runs overnight, but we're very pleased with the progress he's making,'' said Dr. Peter Grossman, another of Denis' surgeons and son of Dr. Richard Grossman. ``He will always have scars on his face,'' but those can be covered with makeup, he said. ``What we'd like to do is improve his outward appearance so he's comfortable with his looks, so he's not so terribly socially outcast. ``In the next six months, you're going to see a pretty significant change in appearance,'' Grossman said. ``But you've got to be patient. Healing takes time.'' In spite of the successes so far, Denis' mother, Janna Nefedova, spent a sleepless night Monday worrying about possible complications. ``I was really nervous,'' she said. ``I wasn't acting like myself. But this morning, I was surprised how calm I was.'' Denis slept better but arose Tuesday trying to cut his nervousness with humor. ``He didn't want to wake up,'' Armbruster said. ``He was trying to make a deal with (his mother) that she would go in for the surgery, instead.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Janna Nefedova sits with her son Denis after reconstructive surgery reconstructive surgery n. Plastic surgery. reconstructive surgery, n surgery to rebuild a structure for functional or esthetic reasons. Tuesday to reshape his nose and forehead. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
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