Mumbai: Team of doctors reattach severed thumb of man after 7 hours surgery

A 42yearold banker from a western suburb who is also a twowheeler adventure enthusiast is all praise for a team of doctors that reattached his left thumb after it got severed in a freak accidentOn Wednesday a beaming Rohan Ajgaonkar walked out of Global Hospitals at Parel following a postsurgery checkup While he has gained sensation in the affected area the doctors have told me he can once again hit the road in a few weeks On the afternoon of December 30 Rohan was lubricating the chain of his Royal Enfield Interceptor650 a gift that he had received from his wife a year ago when things went wrong in a hurryThe thumb stitched backldquoA dry cloth that I had kept on the seat for cleaning fell due to the breeze and almost got entangled in the chain Since the engine was on as an impulsive act I tried to pull it But in the process my left thumb got into the rotating chain Within seconds I pulled out my hand only to realise blood oozing outrdquo said Rohan who works as a vicepresident real estate at Citibank BKC Rohan first thought he had sustained a minor cut but the sight left him stunned ldquoMy thumb was missing I looked around and found the crushed portion four five feet awayrdquoRohan had numerous encounters with accidents the worst being near Panvel 17 years ago when his bike hit a stationary road boulder parked at a road construction site It was not lit nor were there any safety signs He sustained a head injury and multiple fractures and survived only because he was wearing the helmet But this was the first incident where his body part was amputated The banker kept calm and remembered a senior doctor who had operated on him for his head injury ldquoThe surgeon who is no longer practising asked me to send a picture of the injury On seeing it the surgeon asked me to contact Dr Nilesh G Satbhai at Global Hospitals and said I would require immediate microvascular surgery to reattach the amputated thumb within the golden hoursrdquoAs advised by Dr Satbhai Rohan wrapped the split body part in a plastic bag and secured it in another plastic bag containing ice cubes ldquoBeing a retired staff nurse at KEM my mother was able to understand the urgency and we rushed to Global Hospitalsrdquo recalled RohanSevenhour surgeryAt the Parel hospital a team of doctors carried out a supra major surgery for about 7 hours to reattach the severed thumb He remained there till January 5 Considering that his wife Jagruti had gifted him the bike she was riddled with guilt said RohanDr Satbhai Head of Department Plastic Hand amp Reconstructive Microsurgery and Transplant Surgery said they come across several cases of youngsters or bike enthusiasts who come for finger crush injuries He said preservation of the severed finger is key in saving it ldquoThe threads sutures required to join these blood vessels are much thinner than human hair and are barely visible to naked eyes Hence such procedures can only be performed under an operating microscope The nerves and tendons were then repaired Reconstructive microsurgery aims to restore the normal form and function of the body part to its maximum extentrdquo said Dr SatbhaiHospital CEO Dr Vivek Talaulikar added ldquoOur doctors are experienced in performing innumerable life and limbsaving surgeries Victims in some of the worst accidental injuries have returned home with their quality of life restored If you or your loved ones have the misfortune of becoming a victim of traumatic injuries my advice is to find professional help at a hospital equipped to handle such emergenciesrdquo As he waits to take to the road Rohan says bikers like him should be cautious while maintaining their vehicles or get it done from a professionalHow to save an amputated digit or limb1 Wrap the severed digit in a sterile dry gauze2 Place it in a clean plastic bag and secure the bag tightly3 Place the packet in another plastic bag filled with ice cubes Secure both bags with their ends uprightCaution1 Never allow the amputated part to be in direct contact with the ice or water2 never keep it in the freezer compartment of a fridge3 If in doubt contact a plastic surgeon immediately30Day in December when Ajgaonkarrsquos thumb got severed