A MAN had his face reconstructed after his nose was savagely bitten off by a dog.
Andrew Koplove, 37, was left with two holes where his nose used to be after the vicious attack in 2017.
His injuries were so drastic he said he would wear a bandage over his face to stop people staring on the rare occasions he dared to leave his home.
The remarkable surgery — detailed in time-lapse video — involved rebuilding his nose using cartilage from his ear and ribs.
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The op was performed by Dr Patrick Byrne, of Cleveland Clinic, and now, “inspiration” Andrew said he has his “life back”.
Andrew, from Massachusetts, said: “Before my nose reconstruction, I lost a lot of myself. People would stare or ask me what happened. It was extremely uncomfortable.
“Your face and aspects of your face are your identity and I lost that. I wouldn’t be who I am today without Dr Byrne.
“He gave me my life back and the confidence to be myself again, go on dates, meet new people and feel confident in everything I do.”
There were 21,918 dog attacks in England and Wales in 2022, up from 16,394 in 2018.
An increase in attacks by American XL Bully dogs led the Government to ban the breed last year.
Reconstructive surgery makes up the vast majority of plastic surgery procedures in the UK and is used to treat a variety of conditions.
These include genetic issues, like cleft lips and palates, as well as problems caused by traumatic injuries, infection, burns or illnesses like cancer.
Andrew started researching surgery options in 2017 after the dog attack.
He said: “Choosing the best doctor really mattered to me.
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“Many renowned surgeons told me that surgeries would result in me being permanently deformed, and I didn’t want to settle with that.
“I believed there had to be a better option.”
'HOPE' FOR THE FIRST TIME
He found Dr Byrne during an internet search and said it gave him “hope” for the first time since his injury.
Andrew said: “He gave me hope that I would have an excellent result with no lasting noticeable deformities.”
When Dr Byrne began practising at Cleveland Clinic in 2020, Andrew moved to Columbus, Ohio, to be closer to his healthcare provider.
Over the span of four years and 14 surgeries, Andrew underwent a complete nose reconstruction with Dr Byrne and his team.
Andrew is an inspiration
Dr Patrick Byrne
Dr Byrne said: “There is no such thing as a simple nasal reconstruction — typically, the larger the defect, the more complicated the case.
“A total nasal reconstruction is a difficult plastic surgery endeavour. But, I was confident we could create a new nose for Andrew.”
His nose was rebuilt using tissues from his forehead, as well as external skin.
Andrew suffered an infection after one operation which put the reconstruction under threat.
Dr Byrne said: “I’ve learned over the years to take these early complications very seriously and act quickly whenever possible.
“Ultimately, we had to complete a second forehead flap to achieve an acceptable outcome.
“Andrew is an inspiration. He managed adversity and handled setbacks all with consistent grace.”
