A THUMB SAVED, A LIFE RESTORED: RARE IMPLANTATION SURGERY AT SRMS INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

When 24-year-old Paritosh Mandal from Dineshpur rushed to the Plastic Surgery Department at SRMS Institute of Medical Sciences (SRMS IMS), Bareilly, he carried not just fear and pain, but his severed right thumb in his other hand. The traumatic amputation occurred while operating a chara cutting machine; a moment that could have permanently changed his life.

At a local hospital, Paritosh was told replantation wasn’t possible. Refusing to give up, he reached SRMS IMS within three crucial hours. Examination revealed severe blood loss and a crush-type amputation at the carpometacarpal joint, though no other systemic injuries were present.

Dr Apoorva Pratap Singh, Consultant, General Surgery, Department of Plastic, Cosmetic & Micro Vascular Surgery, who led the case, said, “It was a race against time. The patient was shifted immediately to OT. We performed bone fixation and tendon repair, but the damage was extensive, requiring a vein graft from the same hand to restore blood flow. Under the operating microscope, two arteries and two veins were anastomosed, successfully revascularizing the thumb.”

The next five days were critical. Intensive monitoring confirmed the thumb’s viability. At his one-month follow-up, Paritosh is undergoing rehabilitation with encouraging recovery and hopes of returning to normal activity soon.