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Louisville Surgeons Reconstruct Face Of Misdiagnosed Woman

A woman left disfigured by radiation treatments for a cancer she never had will undergo reconstructive surgery in Louisville.  

 Lessya Kotelevskaya could be in surgery up to 24 hours at University of Louisville Hospital.  According to a news release from Uof L Physicians, Monday's surgery will be performed by Dr. Jarrod Little, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who is donating his time. 

Kotelevskaya was misdiagnosed about a decade ago in Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic. Her face was disfigured by the radiation treatments, causing a gaping hole in her right cheek and making it difficult to eat and talk. She lost her husband and business and was left homeless.  Her cousin Oleg Sennik eventually found Kotelevskaya and brought her and her young son to Louisville, where he lives.