Doctors reconstruct thumb from 20-year-old man’s amputated leg in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Doctors at a New Delhi hospital successfully reconstructed the thumb of a 20-year-old male accident victim using the second toe from his amputated leg on Friday. The patient had suffered severe injuries in a road accident involving a bike and a tractor, resulting in the amputation of his left leg below the knee and left thumb.Upon the patient’s arrival, the trauma team examined the amputated parts for possible reimplantation. However, due to severe crush injuries, direct reattachment was deemed unsuitable.“The patient suffered total amputation of his left leg below the knee and total amputation of left thumb. Upon arrival at the hospital, the trauma team acted swiftly. The amputated parts (left leg and thumb) were examined for reimplantation, but due to severe crush injuries, they were unsuitable for reimplantation (reattachment). In an extraordinary decision, the surgical team chose to use the second toe from the amputated leg to reconstruct the lost thumb, a procedure that not only restored hand function but also utilized tissue from the non-salvageable limb,” the hospital said.The complex microsurgical procedure was performed by a team led by Dr. Mahesh Mangal, Senior Consultant and Head of the Department of Plastic, Cosmetic and Hand Microsurgery, along with Dr. Nikhil Jhunjhunwala, Dr. Arjun Krishna, and Dr. Rishika Bachani.Dr. Mahesh Mangal stressed the importance of preserving amputated parts, stating: “Timely, efficient transportation of the patient and the preserved amputated part to the reimplantation center is critical for survival and function.”The hospital has a strong track record in such procedures, having performed over 700 reimplants of various body parts including fingers, toes, penis, scalp, ear, and upper limb.