Zydus Doctors Reattach Four Severed Fingers of 3-Year-Old in 9-Hour Microsurgery

In a highly complex and time-sensitive microsurgical procedure, doctors at Zydus Hospitals, Ahmedabad, successfully replanted four severed finger s of a three-year-old boy after his hand was caught in a tractor engine belt.

The child, from a farming settlement in Mansa Taluka of Gandhinagar district, was rushed to the hospital after being referred by a nearby facility that lacked the specialised resources required for the complicated injury. He was treated by Dr. Raghuvir Solanki and Dr. Jatin Bhojani, Onco-Reconstructive and Microvascular Surgeons, along with a multidisciplinary team.

The success of such procedures depends heavily on rapid intervention and proper preservation of the amputated parts. Fortunately, the child's severed fingers were transported in a bag submerged in ice, helping preserve the tissues. Doctors emphasised that amputated parts should never be placed directly on ice, as this can cause further tissue damage. The surgery followed a carefully planned two-stage approach. Before the operation, the amputated fingers were prepared under a surgical microscope, with the surgeons identifying and marking the severed arteries, veins, nerves, neurovascular bundles and connective tissues. This helped minimise cold ischaemia time, the period between tissue removal and restoration of blood flow.

The surgery began around 5 p.m. on Sunday and continued until after 2 a.m. The surgeons meticulously reattached the bones, repaired tendons and reconnected the tiny arteries, veins and nerve bundles. The procedure was particularly challenging because the child's blood vessels were barely 0.5 mm in diameter, requiring exceptional precision under high-powered microscopes.

Dr. Bhojani stressed that time is critical in replantation surgery, while Dr. Solanki said the immediate priority was to stabilize the child and move him to surgery without delay. Emergency, reconstructive surgery, anaesthesia and operating theatre teams were mobilised rapidly. Considering the family's financial circumstances and history, the hospital also reduced a significant portion of the treatment cost. The case highlights the importance of rapid referral, specialised microsurgery and multidisciplinary coordination in traumatic amputations. Zydus Hospitals' reconstructive team also handles complex cancer reconstruction and lymphatic surgery, adding to its expertise in advanced limb salvage and reconstructive care.