Meet The South African Doctor Who Became The First Surgeon On Earth To Cure Deafness
Dr Mashudu Tshifularo is a South African otolaryngologist and ENT surgeon born on June 18, 1964, in the rural village of Mbahela outside Thohoyandou, in Venda, South Africa. Dr Mashudu Tshifularo became the first surgeon on Earth to successfully cure deafness using 3D technology.
The first patient to receive the transplant was a 35-year-old man who suffered hearing loss as a result of a car accident that damaged his inner ear, according to a press release by the South African Government.
The operation was performed by Professor Mashudu Tshifularo and his team from the University of Pretoria (UP) Faculty of Health at the Steve Biko Academic hospital in Pretoria on March 13. Using 3D technology, he was able to recreate the bones the hammer, anvil, stirrup, and the ossicles that make up the inner ear, thus replacing the damaged ones.
The surgery was successfully completed in one and a half hours, owing to the severity of the injury.