Despite the procedure being deemed impossible, doctors have successfully reattached a boy's head after he was decapitated in a car accident.
Suleiman Hassan, 12, from West Bank, Palestine, suffered what is known medically as an "internal decapitation" after he was struck by a car while riding his bike, per the New York Post.
The injuries that Hassan sustained are incredibly rare, as the term means that his skull detached from the spine but the skin was still fully intact.
This makes up just one percent of spinal injuries, and 70 percent of those who suffer this particular injury lose their life shortly after the incident.
After being struck by the vehicle, the 12-year-old was airlifted to Hadassah Ein Kerem’s Trauma Unit in Jerusalem, where doctors examined the extent of his injuries.
It was there that the medical team realized that Hassan's head had "almost completely detached from the base of his neck".
What followed was a painstaking several-hour operation as doctors worked tirelessly to save the young boy's life.
The team at the hospital was tasked with the fusing skull and spinal column using rods, screws, plates and sometimes using bone grafts.
Dr. Ohad Einav, one of the surgeons who was operating on Hassan, explained to the Times of Israel: "We fought for the boy’s life. The procedure itself is very complicated and took several hours."
He continued: "While in the operating room, we used new plates and fixations in the damaged area. Our ability to save the child was thanks to our knowledge and the most innovative technology in the operating room."
The operation took place in early June, but doctors opted to wait for a month before making the results public as they wanted to keep an eye on Hassan - which they will continue to do so.
One of the surgeons who was in the operating room had previously been part of a team who did the same operation on an adult in Canada.
Hassan's father was understandably overjoyed and extremely grateful to the team for all of their hard work, and he never once left his son's side during his recovery.
"I will thank you all my life for saving my dear only son. Bless you all," he said. "Thanks to you, he regained his life even when the odds were low and the danger was obvious. What saved him were professionalism, technology, and quick decision-making by the trauma and orthopedics team. All I can say is a big thank you."
Dr. Marc Siegel spoke to Fox News Digital, where he explained that the operation is only possible if the blood vessels remain intact.
"The key is preserving blood flow to the brain," Dr. Siegel said. "It sounds like, from the story, that the major blood vessels were likely not severed and that this involved an orthopedic rebuilding - probably using rods and reattaching ligaments and possibly bone grafts and implants."
Hassan is now on the road to recovery thanks to the amazing work of the medical staff!
