“An unusual procedure.” In Gironde, surgeons from the Aquitaine Hand Institute have successfully grafted a toe in place of a thumb to an injured patient. This success was announcement Tuesday, September 17 by the private Saint Martin hospital where the operation was performed. We tell you about it.
Following an accident, the patient, originally from Charente, found himself with his left thumb completely torn off. “This causes a significant handicap given that it is precisely the thumb that allows us to have fine gestures and grasp objects thanks to the “pincer” effect”, is explained in the press release.
Therefore, “the only possible solution” is to graft a new one. To do this, hand surgeons take the skeleton of the patient’s second left toe, as well as the skin and nail of his big toe. After which, they graft the whole thing to the missing thumb. Once the bone and joint are covered by the skin transplant, the vessels, nerves and tendons are then attached to the hand. “One of the great advantages of this procedure is that it leaves the skeleton of the big toe in place (in turn covered by the skin of the second toe), which is essential for the stability of the donor foot,” it is specified.
The news is good
This “delicate microsurgery procedure” lasts ten hours. “A real success,” says Saint Martin Hospital. “To date, post-operative monitoring has been very satisfactory with good vascularization of the new thumb “, explains one of the surgeons a few days before the operation. Which suggests a good recovery knowing that the first 72 hours are crucial in this type of surgery.
Following the operation, the patient will have to stay in hospital for a week. After that, it will take three months for the bone to heal properly. Rehabilitation should then last six months.
“After the reimplantation of three fingers that were severed a few days ago, this is another great success for the SOS Mains center and its teams of specialists,” the hospital concludes.
A technique invented by Professor Guy Foucher
This grafting technique dates back to the 1980s. It is nicknamed the “Twist Two Toe” technique. It was performed for the first time in 1980 in Strasbourg by Professor Guy Foucher, a pioneer in hand microsurgery. The results are as functional as they are aesthetic. However, it is still very little practiced today due to its difficulty.
Source: www.topsante.com
