Bengaluru: A 51-year-old male factory manager, whose wrist got severed while testing a new machine, has been lucky to get his hand back, thanks to a replantation surgery done at Fortis Hospital Bannerghatta.
Timely presentation at the hospital and medical expertise by a team of doctors
ensured that the replantation was successful after a 7-hour-long complex surgery, the hospital said in a statement.
After the man met with the accident, he was rushed to a nearby clinic which was not equipped to handle such case.
The patient was then immediately rushed to Fortis Bannerghatta Road, the statement said.
“This was a challenging case as it was time-sensitive and demanded the highest level of
skill and expertise in re-joining a total of 6 severed veins,” the statement said.
Dr. Sathya Vamsi Krishna, Consultant – Hand, Upper-limb & Microvascular Surgery, who performed the surgery, said the case was different from a clean amputation, like that of a sword wound where there is minimal tissue damage.
“In this particular case, the wrist was completely crushed with multiple cuts, owing to the machine injury that resulted in significant structural damages, particularly the
arteries, muscles, and veins. With blood flow, muscles and nerves die very quickly.
“During the replantation surgery, the bones were fixed followed by tendons and nerves and then critical arteries and veins,” the doctor said.
After blood flow had been restored during the 7-hour surgery, the patient was kept under observation in the ICU for a day.
The patient was discharged in a stable condition 5 days later.
“The complete recovery might take a couple of months, but we are hopeful that the patient
will regain complete function of his hand with extensive physical rehabilitation,” the doctor said.
Giving suggestions for handling of such cases before reaching a proper hospital, the doctor said it is important to keep the severed part of the body clean, cool, and moist to prevent further damage and preserve its viability.
“Ideally, the severed part should be wrapped in a sterile, damp cloth or gauze, placed in a plastic bag, and kept on ice until it can be transported to a medical facility.
“It is important to not directly immerse the severed part in water or ice, as this can damage the tissues and reduce the chances of successful re-attachment.
“Seeking medical attention as soon as possible is critical in cases of accidental amputation, as time is of the essence in preserving the viability of the severed part,” the doctor advised.
