Response to the critical situation and timely surgical intervention saved the right hand of the patient
Chennai. 24th September, 2026 : In a rare and remarkable medical feat, a multidisciplinary team of surgeons at Pride Superspeciality Hospital in Chennai has successfully reattached a completely amputated right forearm in a 35-year-old man. The extraordinary clinical success followed a gruelling surgical and reconstructive treatment journey that involved multiple high-stakes operations, resulting in early physical rehabilitation with zero infection. The treatment ensured achievement of full clinical stability with a healthy, viable limb and has been cleared for hospital discharge to continue his outpatient recovery.
The patient, Mr. Dhananjayaraj, was brought to the hospital with a complete traumatic amputation of his right mid-forearm that caused extensive damage to bones, arteries, veins, tendons, muscles, nerves, and soft tissues. This life-threatening injury demanded immediate, highly coordinated surgical intervention to save his life.
Understanding instantly to the critical emergency, the hospital mobilised a multidisciplinary expert team comprising Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Orthopaedics, Anaesthesia, and Critical Care within minutes of his arrival. Dr. S. Chockalingam, Managing Director, along with Dr. Rajkumar, Vascular Surgeon, Dr. Karthik Shanmugam, Orthopaedician and Dr.Vishnu babu Plastic surgeon, led the teams that would ultimately defy the odds.
The primary observation by the doctors was a complete traumatic amputation with extensive neurovascular and musculoskeletal damage that posed a significant risk of the replanted limb not surviving.
The first emergency replantation surgery lasted approximately nine hours. The orthopaedic team stabilised the radius and ulna using intramedullary K-wire fixation, while the plastic surgery team reconstructed multiple flexor and extensor tendons. The vascular team performed complex microvascular reconstruction using great saphenous vein grafts to restore arterial inflow and venous drainage This was a critical step that would determine whether the severed hand could be saved.
However, within 24 hours, the patient developed early vascular compromise of the replanted hand. The team acted immediately, performing emergency re-exploration procedure for another nine-hour. The vascular team performed a Fogarty catheter thrombectomy and reconstructed the radial artery with additional vein grafts. Following reconstruction, both radial and ulnar arteries demonstrated pulsatile flow, with Doppler confirmation of flow into the palmar arches. The hand slowly regained warmth, colour, and capillary refill.