Afghanistan victim Ashley faces ‘final’ operation on legs (From Gazette)

Afghanistan victim Ashley faces ‘final’ operation on legs

9:00am Thursday 23rd February 2012 in News By Caroline Tilley

A SOLDIER whose legs were blown off in a bomb blast in Afghanistan is to undergo a gruelling 12-hour operation.

Ashley-James Hall, 21, from Boxted, is set to return to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham, next month to have his left leg remodelled.

Doctors will take tissue from his stomach and hip to rebuild his leg.

They decided to undertake what could be Ashley’s last major operation because he could not use his recently-made prosthetic legs owing to a condition called heterotopic ossification, where bone grows in soft tissue around a trauma site.

Ashley, who was injured in July 2010, has had about 30 operations already. His father, Stephen Hall, said: “They had cast him for his prosthetics, but the bone in his left leg had grown and he has been unable to wear them because his bone is still growing.

“Your bones continue to grow until you’re 21 and after you lose a limb this condition affecting Ashley can continue to affect the person for another two years.

“The doctors are hoping to remove all of the bone which has grown into the muscles and tendons in his leg.

“There is a risk, obviously. The surgeons have to stay away from the sciatic nerve in his leg. There’s a 5 per cent chance they could hit it and if they do then he will have pain for the rest of his life.

“But the operation means he can then start thinking about using his prosthetic legs.”

Even if the operation goes ahead without a hitch, Ashley faces four months of recovery.

He is on holiday in Fuerteventura ahead of the operation.

It will be carried out at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which has a 30-bed military ward and specialises in critical care.

Mr Hall said: “We will have to wait and see what happens.

“Hopefully, if the surgeons get it all, then this will be the last operation he has.

“If it all goes ok this will be a huge step for him.”

Ashley proposed to long-term girlfriend, Jade Herron, on Christmas Day.

He has vowed not to make wedding plans until he is walking on prosthetic limbs.