Amputated hand re-joined in challenging surgery at Delhi hospital
Feb 14, 2021
New Delhi [India], February 14 : A 36-year-old man, whose forearm got amputated while working in a factory in Delhi's Badli area, was later re-joined after a 6-hour surgery, thanks to latest surgical methods.
This incident happened last month when Inderpal was working in a factory in Prahaladpur Industrial Area, according to a press release by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
While working in the factory, a heavy object from the machine fell on his hand and his left forearm got crushed and amputated. As a result of the accident, Inderpal suffered severe pain, loss of blood and went into shock.
As the 36-year-old was being taken to hospital, his employer showed the presence of mind and collected the amputated hand and preserved it in ice.
According to Dr Anubhav Gupta, Senior Consultant, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, "Though the patient reached us well within the golden time period (usually 3 to 4 hours over ice in forearm level injury), it was challenging as the forearm at the time of amputation got badly pulled and crushed.
"This led to multiple-level injuries to the various structures (bone, muscles, nerves and vessels), necessitating a holistic approach requiring extensive shortening and graft usage from different parts of the body," Dr Gupta said.
Soon after, the doctors decided to take the patient immediately for surgery without waiting for Covid result which came negative later on.
According to the release, due to the severity of the injury, it took us over six hours to perform the implantation of the forearm using the "micro-vascular technique." After the surgery, the patient's hand has been successfully salvaged.
Dr Anubhav Gupta added, "that with latest surgical techniques it is now possible to rejoin even the worst amputated limbs if they are brought in time and well preserved in ice. It is important to understand that the amputated part should not be in direct contact of ice. It should be kept in clean polythene over ice."
