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Unconventional Op Doctors successfully sutured burned hand in abdominal wall
In the US, doctors have started an unusual procedure to save the burnt hand of an 87-year-old man. They sewed these into the patient's abdomen so that they could heal and be supplied with blood there. A method that is not new from the expert's point of view, but rarely used in cases like this. The procedure is considered promising and involves only a small risk of complications. The Texan Frank Reyes now hopes to be able to use his hand again quite normally.
Heaviest injuries from an accident when changing tires
The story of 87-year-old Frank Reyes from Texas (USA) is currently causing a stir and interest in the media. As reported by the news agency "AP", the man's hand was badly burned after a serious accident. After conventional treatment methods were unsuccessful, the treating physician suggested an extraordinary therapeutic measure: he wanted to sew the man's hand into his abdominal wall so that she could heal there.
Image: BillionPhotos.com - Fotolia Reyes granddaughter explained the grandfather's intention: "They will put your hand in your stomach, a bit like a hoodie," says Casay Reyes according to the AP. The patient agreed to the procedure at the Houston Methodist Hospital and then spent three weeks hiding his left hand under a tissue pocket in the abdomen to heal and receive blood.
Burns covered with tissue and skin from the abdomen
"It's a strange feeling," he said. "But I do everything to make it better." On Thursday of this week, the doctors relieved the hand and covered the burns with tissue and skin from his stomach. Now the Texan hopes that he can use his hand again as before the accident at the end of June this year. "As soon as I'm feeling better, I want to take a little trip," he says. "Mainly I want to breed cattle and ride horses. I am an open-air person. "
The accident had occurred during the tire change, as the jack released and pressed the man's hand against the bumper of the car. It had been more hot 38 degrees that day and half an hour had passed before the rescue arrived. During this time, the iron "simply cooked his hand," explains the attending physician. Anthony Echo of the Houston Methodist. It burned through a thick protective glove, the skin, tendons and tissue.
Conventional treatment was not enough
The injuries were initially treated conventionally by cleaning and bandaging the wounds. But it developed an infection, as a result of which the forefinger of the man had to be amputated for the most part. In addition, the condition of the hand deteriorated more and more: "His skin was almost completely dead," the granddaughter said about the report of the doctors. "They said it looked like the skin of a mummy." Anthony Echo, who realized that a transplant of skin or tissue from other parts of the body would not work. Because the injury reached to the bone and without a good blood supply, the grafts would die, explains the expert.
Intervention reminiscent of science fiction film
Dr. Echo decided to sew his hand into the patient's stomach. "The skin of the abdomen actually adheres to the hand" and form new blood vessels, the doctor said. Apparently the saving step, because without this treatment "he would probably have lost all his fingers," says Echo. When the experienced surgeon of the family Reyes described his idea, he had initially received rather disturbed reactions. "I thought that was a science fiction movie," says Casey Reyes. "That sounded crazy" and her grandfather, who could no longer hear well, had "looked funny" after the explanation - but nevertheless agreed.
Intervention in such a situation very promising
However, according to the plastic surgeon Vijay Gorantla from the University of Pittsburgh, this operation method is not new. However, many doctors would not know today that in a case like Reyes this procedure is possible. The intervention is very promising especially in such a situation and rarely leads to complications. "Thanks in this case to the surgeon," said the expert in hand transplantation according to the "AP".
The method is also used to make individual parts of the body in the laboratory, adds Gorantla. According to them, a group from China put cartilage tissue under the skin or abdominal wall to develop tissue and blood supply to one ear. Likewise, the method would be used if e.g. the fingertip is disconnected in an accident. "You can take your fingertip and insert it into the abdominal wall." Subsequently, these are taken together with further tissue to rebuild the finger, explains Vijay Gorantla. (No)