A Dutch man has undergone reconstructive surgery on his genitals after a near-fatal encounter with a cobra snake. The 47-year-old male, who remains unidentified, was reportedly bitten on his penis while using the lavatory.
The snouted cobra has both a neurotoxic and cytotoxic venom, which results in tissue damage at the bite site and severe neurological disruptions throughout the body, which can lead to respiratory paralysis if untreated.
The incident occurred while the unidentified male was in South Africa on a safari, according to The South African. Shortly after his brush with death, the Dutch male was transported via helicopter to a local medical centre. The deadly snake bite caused the man to be diagnosed with ‘scrotal necrosis‘. Necrosis is when bacteria infect the surrounding tissue and simultaneously causes a disruption of blood supply throughout the body. The condition causes the flesh to swell and become discoloured essentially rotting the affected areas.
Upon arrival at the medical centre, the man was in an incredible amount of pain with both his scrotum and penis swollen and purple in colour. His symptoms also included vomiting, and a burning, shooting pain that travelled from his groin and through his upper chest. He was administered multiple doses of a non-specific snake venom antiserum and additionally received broad-spectrum antibiotics to combat scrotal necrosis.
After nine days of hospitalisation in South Africa, the Dutch national was finally repatriated to the Netherlands. It has been reported that the man has made a full recovery, even undergoing a plastic surgery procedure called a ‘penile shaft debridement’ which successfully reconstructed his genitals.
Picture: Steven Gilham/Flickr Commons
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