AIIMS surgeons successfully re-attach amputated arm of man

A team of plastic surgeons at AIIMS-Mangalagiri re-attached an amputated arm of a man who suffered an accident at worksite through the successful procedure of a trans-humeral (mid-arm) amputation replantation.

According to a press release from AIIMS on Monday, it is reportedly the first time a microsurgical procedure such as this has been performed in the State. The 25-year-old patient, a native of Jharkhand who works as a mill machine-load operator in a road construction company near Hanuman Junction, sustained a severe crush injury to his left arm after it got trapped in a tar machine on February 22. The patient was brought to AIIMS the same day.

Considering the severity of the injury and the limited window for successful replantation, the patient was informed about the slim chances of limb survival. Despite the challenges, the doctors decided to proceed with emergency limb replantation.

In a eight-hour-long procedure, the team, led by Shanthakumar Shivalingappa, successfully re-attached the amputated upper arm by reconstructing major blood vessels, stabilising the bone, and repairing muscles and soft tissues.

Five days after the initial surgery, the surgical wound over the arm was successfully covered with a skin graft. Secondary procedures, including nerve reconstruction and definitive bone fixation, are planned for a later stage.

The patient is currently stable and recovering in the ward.