During the surgery, a wire held the bones of the finger in place, and blood vessels less than 0.5 mm in diameter were joined under a microscope
Medica Group of Hospitals performed a finger reimplantation surgery at the nail bed level on a 29-year-old male from Kolkata at its flagship facility, Medica Superspecialty Hospital. The team of doctors from the plastic surgery department and Medica’s critical care team joined together for this complex case. The team put in their combined efforts under the leadership of Dr Akhilesh K Agarwal, Consultant, Department of Plastic Surgery, Medica Superspecialty Hospital.
A 29-year-old graphic designer in Kolkata was taken to the hospital after being involved in an accident which resulted in the amputation of the distal part of his three fingers: the index, middle, and ring. He was readily admitted to the hospital for emergency treatment of his injury, which required the reimplantation of his fingers. Dr Agarwal operated, which lasted for six hours. It is more difficult than other reimplantation surgeries because the vital structures at this distal level are small and joining them back together is difficult and requires expertise. During the surgery, a wire held the bones of the finger in place, and blood vessels less than 0.5 mm in diameter were joined under a microscope. The nerves were joined under magnification, and the patient was monitored for nine days for any chances of vascular compromise.
Dr Agarwal said, “So far, the recovery has worked successfully. However, it will take around 2 months for the reimplanted fingers to fully recover, after which all his fingers will be functioning, and he will be able to do all his duties properly. We will decide whether or not to do corrective surgery later, based on his healing rate. Although reimplantation at this distal level is infrequently attempted, once the reimplanted organs work, the results are gratifying both in function and cosmesis.”
The patient was discharged with a very satisfying post-operative evaluation after 10 days of the surgery and is slowly getting back to his normal life.
