Little Asaad, Hit by a Bomb in Gaza, Regains His Sight After Surgery

Hit by a bomb in Gaza , he regains sight in his right eye thanks to surgery performed at the Molinette hospital in Turin . This happened in the last few hours to Asaad , an 8-year-old boy who was hit by an explosion that killed his mother and little sister. He arrived in Turin a few days ago with an amputated leg and serious burns on his body. The severity of his eye injury was immediately identified and an emergency operation was ordered, performed by Michele Reibaldi , director of the university ophthalmology department at the Città della Salute e della Scienza in Turin . "Now Asaad is doing very well. Thanks to this surgery he will be able to keep his eye and his sight. The smile he gave us the day after the operation, as soon as the bandage was removed, was an immense joy and a hope for the future", says Reibaldi.

Eye surgery (Molinette hospital press office, Turin)

Assad arrived in Turin thanks to the "Food for Gaza" mission , coordinated by the Piedmont Region and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with two other peers, welcomed at the Regina Margherita children's hospital in Turin. And it was the staff of the Department of Pathology and Child Care, directed by Professor Franca Fagioli , who immediately noticed the seriousness of the eye injury. In a very short time, the complex operation was arranged.

"It was a 'pole to pole' surgery , which involved all the ocular structures," Reibaldi continues. "The wounds to the sclera and cornea were repaired , the iris was reconstructed , the traumatic cataract was removed and an artificial intraocular lens was inserted . Finally, a vitrectomy was performed to remove the hemorrhage and foreign bodies in the posterior retina."

A result of medical-surgical excellence, but also an example of institutional synergy that has allowed three children who were victims of war to receive excellent care in Italy. "Asaad's story demonstrates the added value of the City of Health and Science in Turin, which was able to activate all the skills necessary to address such a complex clinical case", explains Commissioner Thomas Schael. For the President of the Piedmont Region Alberto Cirio and the Councilors for Health Federico Riboldi and for International Cooperation Maurizio Marrone "once again the very high quality of the Regina Margherita and the City of Health and Science and the extraordinary professionalism of our doctors and healthcare personnel make the difference in the care of a child".