Mangalore, Jan 31: In an extremely rare feat, a team of doctors from the Department of Plastic Surgery of A J Hospital here in Mangalore, successfully reattached both completely-severed upper limbs of a person in an eight-hour long major micro-vascular surgery in September.
The team of doctors led by Head of Plastic Surgery department Dr Dinesh Kadam, consisted of plastic surgeon Dr Sanath Bhandary, anesthetist Dr Thrivikrama Tantry, Dr Rajesh Hukkeri and orthopaedic surgeon Dr Shridhar Shetty.
Thirty two-year-old Sharath Chandra from Haleyangadi in Mulki, was attacked and both his arms were severely injured two months ago. His left arm was severed at shoulder level and the right was severed at mid-forearm.
Although he was left lying in a pool of blood, he gathered strength to walk to the nearest house for help. The police and his relatives were subsequently informed, and Sharath was brought to A J Hospital at around 4 a.m. in a state of serious shock due to loss of blood and was barely conscious. Being in a critical condition, the team of doctors swiftly began operating on him, and was successful in reattaching both his limbs in the surgery.
Speaking about the surgery at a press conference here on Thursday, Dr Dinesh Kadam said that the condition of the reattached limbs was stable and satisfactory. The patient is presently undergoing physiotherapy and rehabilitation and was discharged on Thursday, he said.
“It is very critical in major implantations that the surgery is performed as soon as possible to gain recovery. Due to large muscle mass above the wrist, re-circulation of blood, loss of blood and body fluid is critical for the recovery and re-establishment of limbs. Amputation at shoulder level is even more critical and needs re-implantation as quickly as possible. Full nerve recovery and movements of limbs of the patient takes over a year to achieve. He requires further work and physiotherapy,” said Dr Kadam.
The cost of the surgery along with extra costs such as ICU facility, medicines, anaesthesia etc had crossed over Rs 5 lakhs, he said.
Comments
Add new comment