A young Tongan woman is ready to return to Tonga after Australian surgeons removed a large tumour from her jaw.
The tumour, which was benign, was growing in her jaw and distorting her face.
The infected part of the jaw was removed and rebuilt using bone from her leg.
Surgeon William Blake said 19-year-old Silia Tupou’ila had suffered from extreme pain for five years and the growth made her feel shunned.
He said her jaw would have broken without the surgery.
The volunteer surgical team took eight hours to complete the operation in a Melbourne hospital.
Tupou’ila has been recovering for three weeks.
Her operation was sponsored by the Children First Foundation and carried out at the Cabrini hospital.
In 2016 Kaniva Tonga News reported on the case of another Tongan girl, Pulei Latu, 19, who had a similar operation.
It was also done with the assistance of Children First and Cabrini hospital.
As we reported at the time, five surgeons eight hours to reconstruct her face.
The tumour was described as being the size of a tennis ball.
For more information
Teen’s facial tumour removed in risky eight-hour operation
Tongan girl with enormous tumour undergoes surgery in Melbourne
