Tumour girl's operation proves to be a success

12 October 2009

THE family of a teenage girl with a growing facial tumour are celebrating today after an operation by a Royal London surgeon was a success.

Nomatter Taremedzwa Mapungwana, 18, known as Tare, was flown from Zimbabwe to London last week to be treated by the consultant Ian Hutchison, who is one of the country's leading facial reconstruction surgeons.

She was treated at the Royal London in Whitechapel before being moved to St Bartholomew's for the operation on Saturday.

Professor Hutchison told the Advertiser last week he planned to reduce the "bulk" of the tumour, which was on her left upper jaw, as part of the "life-threatening" operation.

And two days after the eight-hour operation, Tare is reportedly well on her way to recovery with doctors saying she should soon be able to breathe normally again after years of having a breathing pipe connected to her neck.