The man's right hand was severely injured by a machine and w

Mr. Wang, 27 years old, was injured by a machine accident, resulting in severe damage to his right hand, with the thumb completely severed and a large area of soft tissue defect on the palm. He once faced the dilemma of amputation. The trauma microsurgery team at Guangzhou Peace Orthopedic Hospital spent 13 hours simultaneously completing thumb reconstruction and palm wound repair, successfully preserving his right hand and giving him hope to regain his life and work.

 

Due to a sudden accident, my right hand was severely damaged and crushed by a machine

 

"At the moment when the machine pressed down, my right hand felt an excruciating pain. When I looked down, I saw that my thumb was broken and my palm was bloody and mangled. I was stunned, with only one thought in my mind: 'Is my hand going to be lost?' Recalling the moment of injury, Mr. Wang still feels a lingering fear.".

 

After being urgently transported to Guangzhou Heping Orthopedic Hospital, examinations revealed his extremely severe injuries: the right hand's thumb was completely severed at the metacarpophalangeal joint, with severe contamination of the fracture site; the index finger was missing; there were significant soft tissue defects in the palm and the thumb and index finger web area, with a wound area measuring approximately 18×17 cm, deep bone, tendon, and vascular nerve bundles exposed, and severe contusion at the wound margin.

 

 

"In many hospitals, such an injury might have led to immediate amputation," admitted Chen Longfeng, director of the trauma microsurgery department at the hospital. "But the patient is young and has a strong desire to preserve the limb, so we decided to give it a try."

 

"Implementing precise strategies, we fought a tough battle for 13 hours to repair and reconstruct the right hand."

 

Facing the complex injuries of "missing thumb" and "huge defect of the palm", the team developed a personalized plan for one-stage combined microsurgical reconstruction, deciding to simultaneously perform thumb reconstruction and palm wound repair. Director Chen Longfeng explained that usually such surgeries need to be carried out in stages. Completing them simultaneously can not only reduce the patient's pain from multiple surgeries but also create conditions for early postoperative rehabilitation to the greatest extent. "By reshaping the hand appearance through one surgery, combined with systematic rehabilitation exercises, patients can recover hand grasping and other functions faster and better."

 

 

The surgery was performed under general anesthesia, led by Director Chen Longfeng, with two teams working simultaneously. One team harvested a composite tissue flap from the contralateral great toe for thumb reconstruction, while the other team harvested a anterolateral femoral perforator flap to cover the palm wound. Under a high-powered microscope, the doctors precisely transplanted the toe tissue flap to the thumb defect site, completing intraosseous fixation, tendon repair, and vascular and nerve anastomosis. Subsequently, the anterolateral femoral flap was used to cover the palm wound and restore blood circulation. The entire process was akin to "embroidery" at the millimeter level, and any slight deviation could lead to tissue necrosis and surgical failure.

 

After nearly 13 hours of intense effort, the surgery was successfully completed. "Although we are very tired, we did it," said Chen Longfeng, a smile emerging on his exhausted face.

 

After the surgery, the patient's reconstructed thumb exhibited good blood circulation, with the skin flap fully surviving and the wound healing in one stage. Half a month later, Director Chen Longfeng's team performed a second operation to reconstruct Mr. Wang's index finger. Upon discharge, the appearance of the thumb and index finger was lifelike, with partial protective sensation restored. The mobility of the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints gradually improved, and the hand grasping function was effectively reconstructed.

 

"Now I can do some simple grasping exercises and practice daily hand operations as planned. I believe that after a period of time, I will recover even better." When talking about his recovery, Mr. Wang is full of expectations for the future.

 

Written by: Wang Daobin, video reporter of Southern Metropolis Daily; Li Mei, correspondent