A Bunbury teenager on a holiday in Bali has endured three surgical operations after he was bitten on the hand by a monkey.
Anthony Riggio was feeding the monkey he encountered while visiting Gitgit waterfall on the Indonesian island when the monkey latched onto his right hand, severing tendons.
He received treatment at a hospital in Kuta to mend his hand but once back in Australia it was revealed the Indonesian surgeons had incorrectly reattached the tendons in his hand.
The 19-year-old was required to undergo his third surgery at Perth Royal Hospital to repair the damage and his mother said he will now be in a cast for three to six months and require physiotherapy.
“It wasn’t healing at all and he couldn’t move his fingers properly,” Ekaterini Riggio said.
Mrs Riggio was also upset the Indonesian hospital didn’t ask for her consent before using local anasthetic on her son.
“They sent me a range of consent forms because the legal age of consent in Indonesia is 21, but they didn’t send me anything regarding anasthetic yet still performed the surgery anyway,” she said.
“It caused Anthony a lot of pain as a result.”
Mrs Riggio said the medical incident highlighted the need for extreme care when visiting Bali.
“I want other people to know the danger in Bali and to be careful or not go at all,” she said.
Mr Riggio required a team of Australian surgeons to repair the damage to his tendons and nerves.
Blayde Grzelka
Journalist for the Bunbury Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
Journalist for the Bunbury Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
