Zulekha Hospital surgeon saves patient from losing normal hand functions

Major health losses from minor accidents can be avoided if addressed rightly in time

Dubai, UAE, 10 June, 2018: Sudip Adhikari, a 25-year-old Nepalese expat working in the UAE,was admitted to Zulekha Hospital Dubai after crushing his finger in a sliding door of a vehicle resulting in the amputation of his middle finger. Adhikari rushed to the hospital and had preserved the amputated part of his finger by storing it in ice, initial examinations revealed the loss of the finger nail bed and pulp tissue.

Dr. Srikanth Varma Racherla, Specialist Orthopedic Surgeon at Zulekha hospital Dubai decided that an urgent surgical procedure was required to reconstruct the pulp and nail bed in order to rebuild the lost anatomy.

A special surgical procedure called Graft Reposition over the Flap [GRF] was used to reconstruct the amputated finger tip. In this technique, nail bed taken from the amputated finger tip as a graft and used to reconstruct the lost nail bed .Pulp reconstruction was done using cross finger flap.

The cross finger flap procedure involves harvesting skin from adjacent finger. The CFF was used to restore the sensation and original form needed for pain-free finger function.

“This could happen to anyone while closing and opening any door or window. Mr. Adhikari made a courageous and smart decision to keep the amputated part of his finger in ice as it made it possible to regain the original form and function of the finger. We advise all who experience similar incidents to do the same as recovery may not be possible if the amputated part is not well preserved,” commented Dr. Srikanth.

Mr. Adhikari said: “When I first saw my amputated finger, I thought that I had lost it permanently. When I came to Zulekha Hospital and met with Dr. Srikanth, I regained the hope of getting back the normal finger, after he suggested the options available to me. I would like to thank the doctor and the operating staff who were successful in the reconstruction of my finger.”

The flap division was completed after two weeks and the patient recovered good function both in the donor and recipient fingers.