NEW DELHI: “After the injury, I could not even hold a glass of water or eat by myself. I had lost all confidence,” said 34-year-old Abdalla Alkhader, a Sudanese soldier who lost his thumb, index and middle finger to a gunshot during conflict in his country.
Abdalla travelled to India for treatment and underwent a “toe-to-thumb” reconstruction surgery at a hospital here, regaining full hand function.
After examining his condition, doctors recommended a free microvascular toe-to-thumb transfer—a complex procedure in which a toe is used to recreate a functional thumb, the hospital said.
Doctors noted the case was challenging because Abdalla had lost multiple fingers and had developed stiffness over the long period since the injury. The team needed to reconstruct the thumb and also restore tendon and nerve movement.
Dr Neeraj Godara of Max Super Speciality Hospital, Dwarka, performed the surgery, removing the second toe from Abdalla’s left foot & transplanting it to his right hand. “Under a microscope, we reconnected tiny blood vessels and nerves so the transplanted toe could survive and eventually function as a thumb,” doctor said.