Mumbai: Doctors have rejoined the index finger of the right hand of a 20-month-old boy. The baby’s finger was cut off from the middle phalanx when he unknowingly put his hand between the blades of a table fan.
The baby’s family members picked up the severed finger, wrapped it in a clean handkerchief and a plastic bag, and rushed the child to Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road.
Blood was oozing from the infant's right index finger and the baby required immediate surgery, said Dr Pratap Nadar, consultant plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon, Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road. The doctors discussed the extent of the injury and the need for urgent surgery, chances of success, and possible complications, with the baby’s parents.
One digital artery, nerve, and one dorsal vein were repaired. A vein graft, which was needed for the digital artery, was taken from the same forearm.
“After the successful replantation, which took about three hours, the patient was observed for finger colour, temperature, and capillary refill. The patient was discharged three days after the surgery,” Dr Nadar said. “He is using his finger for all activities such as eating, picking up things, or holding objects,” he said.
Paediatric replantations are challenging not only because of the size but also because of higher rates of complications, said Dr Sushil Nehete, consultant plastic, hand, and microsurgeon at Wockhardt Hospital. However, it is always worth attempting it in children, in dominant hands, and if the thumb or index finger is amputated. Dr Nehete said. Now, the baby has extremely good hand function, he said. The doctor said people are not aware of what should be done during such emergencies and stressed that it is important to bring the cut part immediately to the hospital to rejoin it.
"The severed part should be wrapped in a handkerchief or gauze, properly put in a plastic bag, over an ice pack, and carried in a container. Do not touch the part with bare hands. Timely intervention will aid in restoring the functionality of the fingers. The baby reached the hospital on time and, hence, we could salvage the finger. He could have lost his finger if he had not been treated promptly at the hospital. It is imperative for parents to be alert and make sure that all the sharp objects are out of reach of babies to avoid unfortunate incidents,” Dr Nehete explained.
The ear-piercing scream of the baby alarmed his mother. He was crying inconsolably and the family saw his finger lying nearby. “We picked up the chopped finger and rushed to the hospital. The skilled team of doctors at Wockhardt Hospital made the complicated rejoining of the finger possible,” she said.
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