A world’s first operation and medical tattooing are done to repair the face of a man who lost all of his four limbs and lips due to a deadly infection. A 38 years old man named Alex Lewis was diagnosed by a flesh-eating infection and lost the limbs and lips.

This infection attacked Lewis in 2013 November. He thought it was a just cold but within no time it turned into series of infections which left him with a 3% chance of survival. After a long treatment of six and half months with 18 operations, he began to slow recovery.

Lewis injuries were compared to the injuries of people who met with a bomb explosion. Doctors said that ” he is a lucky one and extreme survivor from any point of view ”

Speaking to media, Lewis said that, “one day he wake up and found blood in his urine and the very next day he noticed that his skin is turning purple” He was rushed to the hospital and doctors discovered that an infection was attacking his organs. He was diagnosed with Strep A – Group A Streptococcal Infection – which was progressing to toxic shock syndrome, septicemia and necrotizing fasciitis.

Slowly this infection started attacking all of his organs and turned into a life-threatening one . His condition was so serious and admitted to intensive care for treatment. Doctors had no choice but to remove his four limbs and lips as the infection is killing cells and affecting other organs too.

After cutting the damaged skin from his mouth and lips, doctors placed a temporary flap of skin on his mouth for nine months. after his recovery doctors were set to rebuild his mouth. Lips were recreated by using the skin from shoulders. Surgeon Alexandra was able to create his new lips but they were fattier than the skin of his rest of the face. They were different in color.

After adding six more surgeries to his mouth, finally, they made it thin, little normal than before and blended them into his cheeks and chin more successfully. To add more realistic red lips, Betts worked to tattoo the skin around Lewis’s mouth.