HYDERABAD: Apollo Hospitals performed the first successful complex microvascular replantation surgery, a first-of-its-kind major proximal limb reattachment in the state, which could bring new hope to patients with severe limb injuries.
The surgery was performed on A Pavan Kumar (32) from Mancherial, suffering from severe elbow-level amputation of the right hand, along with multiple fractures in the amputated part.
Despite surpassing the critical “Golden Hour” window of four to six hours for reimplantation, doctors acted swiftly, bypassing the ER process and transferring the patient to the operating theatre.
A dedicated team of surgeons, led by Dr G N Bandari, Consultant Hand, Wrist, and Microsurgeon, and supported by Dr Guru Prasad, Plastic Surgeon, Dr Vivek Reddy, Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Sharanya, Anaesthetist, Dr Raj Kumar and Critical Care Specialist, carried out the intricate eight-hour surgery performed by two teams.
While one team meticulously prepared the amputated hand, the other worked on the patient’s arm to enable reattachment, making the surgery successful. After 26 days of surgery, the patient showed a promising recovery trajectory post-surgery with his reattached hand healing well. Doctors plan additional surgeries in six months to further restore finger movement and sensation.
Dr G N Bandari said, “This surgery is a milestone in microvascular reimplantation, demonstrating what is possible beyond the traditional golden hour of replantation. We hope to inspire greater awareness of how immediate care and transport of amputated parts can be critical for successful reimplantation. The Golden hour will be limited to 4 to 6 hours for replanting the upper portions of the hand, while for the lower part of the limb, be it wrist, or fingers, the golden hour can be up to 6 to 8 hours. It is very important to create awareness among the public that such amputated limbs can be replanted and need to reach a hospital which can treat such patients, as soon as possible."
Doctors said the cadaver hands donation can be facilitated through Jeevandan and a proposal had been sent to the government for permission for the same.The patient Pavan said that after amputation, his hand was securely packed and sent along to the hospital but he was not hopeful of getting his hand back and was grateful that now he was on the path of recovery.