Three Consecutive Hand Replantations Performed Within One Month
Lymphedema Clinic And Regional Replant Center Inaugurated At Kauvery Trichy
Kauvery Hospitals, Trichy have achieved a very unique distinction. Three consecutive hand replantations were performed within a one month period, and all replantations have done well, with patients in their rehabilitation period and expected to make a very good recovery. Two patients were young men in their 20s, while the third was in his mid forties. Two of these patients had their hands hacked off in vicious assaults, while the last patient suffered a crushing amputation after his hand was stuck in a high pressure hydraulic press.
Replantations represent the very pinnacle of microvascular surgery, with bony fixation, tendon, nerve and blood vessels which are a few millimeters in size, being repaired under a specialized operating microscope using sutures which are thinner than a human hair. The Department of Plastic and Microvascular surgery has recently acquired the Zeiss Tivato microscope, which is one of the best operating microscopes in the world and capable of supporting supermicrosurgical procedures ( in blood vessels less than a millimeter in size ).
This surgery was performed by Dr. S. Skanda ( Senior Consultant and Head, Plastic surgery, Kauvery Hospital, Trichy ) and his team consisting of Dr. Muralidhasan M., Dr. Shylesh Ramesh and DrNb Superspeciality residents Dr. Preethivardhan and Dr. Pratheep. The anaesthesia team was headed by Dr. K. Senthil Kumar, (Senior Consultant and HOD). Replantation is a team effort and refers to restoring an amputated part of the same patient as opposed to transplantation, which involves using parts from another donor.
On the occasion of National Plastic Surgery Day, Kauvery Hospital, Trichy inaugurated two unique services – namely Kauvery Lymphedema Clinic and the Regional Replant Centre. The Lymphedema clinic offers comprehensive services for the treatment of lymphedema, right from compression therapy to advanced supermicrosurgical procedures that give new hope to patients suffering from lymphedema and its complications. The Regional Replant centre aims to bring awareness to the public that many amputated parts can be replanted, given sufficient expertise in the same, and excellent functional results can be achieved in such devastating injuries.
Speaking on the occasion of National Plastic Surgery Day, Kauvery Hospitals Executive Director Dr. D. Senguttuvan spoke on the journey of Plastic Surgery in Kauvery Trichy as a pivotal unit right from the establishment of the Unit, and its various achievements and growth to its current form.
Prof. R. Krishnamoorthy , Director, ICAPS, SIMS Hospital,Chennai, was the Chief Guest on the occasion and spoke on the value of hand and microsurgical services to the society and how it restores lives and livelihoods.
Dr. S. Skanda, Senior Consultant and Head, Plastic Surgery, Kauvery Trichy spoke on the unique work done by the unit over the years and its final transition to a teaching institute from this academic year. Kauvery Trichy now is the first private institution in South Tamilnadu to offer the DrNB ( Plastic surgery – Post MS, Superspeciality ) course and only the second in Tamilnadu to offer the course post MS General surgery, highlighting the academic excellence of this elite unit as well.
The Replant Centre will function 24/7, 365 days a year to serve the population of Trichy and the Delta region and the Lymphedema clinic will function from Monday to Saturday, giving a new lease of hope and life to previously neglected patients.
