New Delhi: In a stunning example of medical ingenuity and teamwork, doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi have achieved what many might call a miracle of modern surgery. A 20-year-old man, who lost both his left leg and thumb in a horrific road accident, has regained the use of his hand after surgeons used a toe from his amputated leg to reconstruct his thumb.
Toe from amputated leg to reconstruct a thumb. Photo Credit: HoA
The young man was rushed to the hospital after a high-impact collision between his bike and a tractor left him critically injured. His left leg was completely severed below the knee, and his thumb was also amputated.
The trauma team at the hospital acted with urgency, carefully assessing the severed parts for possible reimplantation. However, due to the extensive crush injuries, neither the leg nor the thumb could be reattached in the traditional manner.
Faced with this grim reality, the surgical team decided on an extraordinary course of action—using the second toe from the amputated leg to rebuild the lost thumb. This rare and complex microsurgical procedure not only restored the patient’s ability to grasp and hold objects but also gave a new purpose to the tissue from his non-salvageable limb.
The intricate operation was carried out under the guidance of Dr. Mahesh Mangal, Senior Consultant and Head of the Department of Plastic, Cosmetic, and Hand Microsurgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. He was assisted by Dr. Nikhil Jhunjhunwala (Consultant Hand and Microsurgeon), Dr. Arjun Krishna (DNB Resident), and Dr. Rishika Bachani (DNB Resident).
Dr. Mangal explained that microsurgery has been a cornerstone of the hospital’s plastic surgery department since 1981, when it first began performing reimplantations of severed body parts. “Since then, the department has grown to become a center of excellence in reimplantation surgeries for industrial, agricultural, household, and road traffic accident victims,” he said.
Highlighting the department’s achievements, he added, “We have successfully performed more than 700 reimplantations of various body parts, including fingers, toes, penis, scalp, ear, and upper limbs. The key to success in such cases lies in the timely transportation of both the patient and the amputated parts. Families and bystanders should always make an effort to locate and preserve the severed part and ensure it reaches the reimplantation center as quickly as possible.”
This case not only underscores the power of medical innovation but also the importance of coordinated emergency response and surgical expertise. For the young patient, it represents a second chance at a functional life—and for India’s medical community, another milestone in pushing the boundaries of reconstructive surgery.
(Cover Photo AI generated)
