Series of complex surgeries save the hand of the 23-year-old tow driver
Hyderabad, November 2022: The team of doctors at Kamineni Hospitals, LB Nagar, have successfully reconstructed the crushed hand of a tow driver Mr. Sri Krishna Nookam, aged 24, hailing from Komaram, Nagarkurnool, Telangana. The team of surgeons consisting of Dr Rajesh Deshamukh, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, Dr Vishal Khante, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, Dr Siril Sathyanandam, Senior Plastic Surgeon, Dr JayPrasad, Senior Orthoscopic Surgeon and Dr Suresh, Senior Anaesthesiologist at Kamineni Hospitals (LB Nagar), replanted and restored Sri Krishna’s hand.
While driving a tow, Sri Krishna had met with an accident when a 35-tonne lorry ran over his left upper arm. The patient’s co-workers and bystanders took him to hospital at once, where he was advised amputation. They then referred him to Kamineni Hospitals, LB Nagar, for definitive management.
He was brought to Kamineni with a severe degloving injury where the skin was totally peeled off and the limb had compromised blood supply with near-dead muscles. In a marathon exercise, the team of surgeons at Kamineni Hospitals conducted a series of plastic reconstructive and micro-vascular surgeries to restore the hand. It was done with such precision that the hand now looks perfectly normal. The surgeons’ effort not only saved Sri Krishna’s hand, but also his livelihood.
In India, road accidents and industrial mishaps result in many people losing their limbs. These limbs are crushed or severed. A large number of such mishaps take place due to human error. In some cases, the loss of limb can be permanent. However, thanks to modern surgical procedures, many of these crushed or severed limbs are restored / reinstated. Amputated hands, legs and fingers are reattached/ reconstructed with such precision that it enables the person effected to get back to normal life.
In the case of Sri Krishna, there was just a 10 percent hope of limb survival. However, the doctors’ prompt action made all the difference for him. “We immediately evaluated the condition of his hand and went in for revascularization and reconstruction of blood vessels with spare vessels from the legs. Post-surgery, he was under observation for over 48 hours, during which time gradual improvement in the chances of survival of the limb was seen. He was constantly monitored by an experienced critical care team,” said Dr. Rajesh Deshmukh, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, Kamineni Hospitals.
“We faced challenges while performing the surgery as the patient’s condition was critical. However, we succeeded in reconstructing the muscles, covered the skin with grafts, and fixed the compound fractures. He required closed ICU monitoring due to the high chance of toxins entering the body from infection and necrosed tissues. This could potentially be life-threatening for the patient,” said Dr Siril Sathyanandam, Plastic Surgeon, Kamineni Hospitals, Hyderabad.
Sri Krishna remained in hospital for two months, during which time the limb improved gradually. He was under close observation. Following seven major surgeries, daily wound dressings, and supervised rehabilitation and physiotherapy, Sri Krishna finally gained the normal functions of his hand. That was a far cry from the prognosis of having to amputate the arm. Today, the patient is being discharged from hospital.