Remarkable surgery: Delhi surgeons use amputated toe to give Rewari youth new thumb

NEW DELHI: Doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) successfully reconstructed the thumb of a 20-year-old Rewari resident using the second toe from his amputated leg.

The young man suffered severe injuries in a road accident involving a bike and a tractor. He lost his left leg below the knee and his left thumb in the crash. When he arrived at the hospital, both parts were examined for reimplantation, but severe crush injuries made direct reattachment impossible.

That was when the surgical team, led by Dr Mahesh Mangal, Senior Consultant and Head of the Department of Plastic, Cosmetic and Hand Microsurgery, decided to turn tragedy into opportunity. They used the second toe from the amputated leg to reconstruct the missing thumb, restoring both form and function to the hand.

“The leg was beyond salvage, but we saw a chance to give the patient a functional thumb using tissue from the same limb,” said Dr Mangal. “It was a technically demanding procedure that required precise microsurgery to reconnect tiny arteries, veins, and nerves under a microscope.”

The operation was performed by Dr Mangal and his team — Dr Nikhil Jhunjhunwala, Consultant, and Dr Arjun Krishna and Dr Rishika Bachani, DNB residents. The intricate microsurgery restored circulation and movement to the transplanted toe, which has now taken the place of the thumb.

“The thumb contributes to nearly 40% of hand function,” explained Dr Jhunjhunwala. “Without it, daily tasks become extremely difficult. Using the patient’s own toe ensured compatibility and better chances of recovery.”

The patient, who is recovering well, is expected to regain significant hand mobility after physiotherapy. “He’s already able to move his new thumb slightly and is responding well,” a team member said.

“The key is time,” Dr Mangal stressed. “Patients and relatives must retrieve and preserve the amputated part quickly — wrapped in a clean cloth, placed in a plastic bag, and kept cool — while rushing to a reimplantation centre.”

He added, “This case is an example of how medical innovation and quick decision-making can turn a hopeless injury into a story of recovery.”