35-Year-Old Woman’s Hand Restored By a Complex Reconstructive Surgery In Chennai

Indupilli Rajeshwari, from Gudur, Andhra pradesh has regained her hand through a complex reconstructive procedure at Stanley Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in Chennai. A fight with her husband got worse when he suddenly chopped off her left hand at the wrist with a sickle. Immediately she was taken to a hospital in Gudur, where the doctors sent the woman's hand to Center of Excellence for Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery at Stanley Medical College and Hospital for preservation.

"We resuscitated the patient and ensured there were no life threatening injuries to her head and then proceeded to operate on her. We did a marathon reconstruction surgery that lasted six hours and put her hand back together," said Dr Nellaiappar, who performed the surgery with Dr P Jeyakumar.

A week after the surgery, sensation returned to the patient's hand and she also regained her finger movements. The operation, which would have cost lakhs in a private hospital, was done for free at SMCH.

"The key to success of such challenging surgeries is the preservation of the amputated part. It should be kept in proper cold storage during transit, which includes wrapping it part in a plastic cover and placing it in a container containing ice cubes," said Dr Nellaiappar.

”The main aim behind performing such surgeries is to ensure the quality of life of the patients is restored without significant morbidity,” he added. 

Source-Medindia