Woman loses part of her face after being attacked by a bear

A 68-year-old woman is recovering after surviving a devastating bear attack while working on a coffee plantation in South Sumatra, Indonesia.

The woman was reportedly attacked while on the plantation and dragged along the ground for about 10 meters during the incident.

She was quickly rushed for medical attention, where doctors later carried out complex reconstructive surgery to treat her injuries.

Medical experts revealed that she remained conscious despite the severity of the attack, even though she suffered serious injuries to the left side of her face.

Reports say she was first treated at a local facility before being transferred on an eight-hour journey to a better-equipped hospital.

During the transfer, medics administered intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and pain relief to manage bleeding and stabilise her condition.

When she arrived at the hospital, doctors discovered the full extent of her injuries. She had suffered a full-thickness avulsion injury to the left side of her face, along with multiple fractures to her cheekbone and upper jaw.

Her upper central teeth had been completely torn out, and her left eye was so badly damaged that doctors had no choice but to remove it. The attack also destroyed the eye muscles and tear duct system, leaving her permanently blind in that eye.

Emergency surgery was performed under general anaesthesia to clean the wounds and begin reconstruction. Plastic surgeons then carried out detailed procedures to rebuild the damaged areas of her face.

Despite the severity of the injuries, doctors say her recovery has been encouraging.

At a two-week follow-up, the wounds were healing well with minimal swelling, and her stitches were removed. Six weeks after the surgery, CT scans confirmed that her facial fractures were healing properly.

By four months after the operation, her wounds had fully healed, and she had regained the ability to chew and speak normally, showing remarkable progress after such a traumatic experience.

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