Landmark reconstructive surgery: Toes of foot transplanted to fingerless hand at Delhi's Safdurjung Hospital

By Shalini Bhardwaj
New Delhi [India], May 19 : Dr Rakesh Kain and his team successfully performed a rare complex microvascular surgery by transplating the toes of the foot to a fingerless hand resulting in the patient having functional fingers, stated Safdurjung Hospital on Friday.
The hospital said that the surgery was performed on May 16, 2023, and the total surgical time was 9 hours, after four post-operative days the child is fine and fingers are viable.
"Patient Mayra from Alwar, Rajasthan met with an accident two years ago when her hands came in a rotating fodder cutting machine which resulted in the complete amputation of all the fingers and part of palm of both hands," the Hospital said.
"At that time her family went to a hospital hoping to unite the fingers. But it was not possible. Since then the patient was not able to perform her routine work or play with toys because of the absence of fingers and thumb in both hands, She was not admitted to a school for fear that she is unable to hold a pen to write. The patient's father who is a son of a farmer and also doing his graduation got some information regarding finger reconstruction," the hospital added.
The hospital said that the father of the patient in this regard consulted the doctors in January 2023.
"Patient's father Net Ram who is the son of a farmer and doing his graduation got some information regarding finger reconstruction being done in the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi. So he consulted the doctors in Jan 2023," the hospital said.
The hospital further mentioned that a team of doctors under the supervision of Dr Shalabh Kumar, Professor and Head of the department, examined the patient and planned to transfer two toes from the left foot to the hand to give functional fingers.
Dr Shalabh Kumar said that such operations require very complex surgical processes.
"These are complex surgical processes which require to unite thin thread-like blood vessels to restore blood circulation for nerves and tendons to function. These surgeries come under the category of microvascular surgery and these are done under an operating microscope. Such types of surgeries require expert and experienced plastic surgeons and an anaesthesia team," he said.
The surgical team who performed the operation was headed by Dr Rakesh Kain Professor of Plastic Surgery, Dr Samson MCh resident, Dr Akila Mohan MCh resident, Dr Sunny Gazzar MCh Resident, Dr Sangnika Ukil, Dr Rohan Kapoor MCh resident and Jai Bhagwan OT Technician.
For prolonged, microvascular surgery, anaesthesia was given by Dr Santwana Kohli Associate Professor, Dr Pratibha Associate Professor, Dr Neetu and Dr Radhika and the child was provided with post-operative ICU care was provided.
Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital Dr BL Sherwal congratulated Dr Shalabh HOD and the entire team and mentioned that toe transplants are complicated procedures which are performed at very few centres.