Rashmi Rekha Das

Doctors of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar have successfully replanted an amputated hand of a girl following a 10-hour-long surgery.

According to sources, Swadhin Das who hails from Krushna Prasad area of Puri rushed to the emergency ward of AIIMS Bhubaneswar on December 9 with an amputated hand wrapped in a vest and kept in an ice bag. This amputated hand was of his sister Barsha Das, who was writhing in pain after her hand was severed from her body.

Without delay, the hospital authorities admitted Barsha to the Plastic Surgery ward and formed a nine-member team headed by Head of the Plastic Surgery Department Sanjay Giri. The team also included experts from Anesthesia and Orthopedic departments. After a 10-hour-long operation, the doctors successfully replanted Barsha’s hand.   

It is pertinent to mention that Barsha was standing near a paddy harvesting machine at her home and watching the harvesting process when her ‘dupatta’ got stuck in the machine and all of a sudden her left hand got severed.

Her brother put the severed limb in a bag after wrapping it in a vest and packing it in ice as he rushed her to a nearby hospital. He later shifted his sister to MKCG Medical College and Hospital. After doctors at MKCG failed to operate upon the amputated hand, she was brought to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar where the replantation and restoration of limb surgery lasted for 10 hours. And AIIMS doctors scripted history by successfully reimplanting the amputated hand.

Meanwhile, two weeks have elapsed since the incident. Barsha is moving his left hand slowly. Doctors are confident that she will be fully recovered in four months’ time.

Barsha said, “I had never imagined that I would survive. I was conscious even after meeting with the mishap. I was yelling in pain. I have never thought my severed hand could ever be replanted. As we know doctors are the personification of God on earth, they saved me from the clutches of death.”

Attributing the feat to his team, doctor Sanjay Giri said, “It was a challenge for us because the patient was brought here after eight hours of the incident. We were initially in dilemma about whether to carry out an operation on the amputated hand or not. But we took it as a challenge. We formed two teams. And the credit goes to my teams.”

Reported by Kapilendra Pradhan, OTV

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