Severed hand sewed to man's ankle to keep it alive

Severed hand sewed to man's ankle to keep it alive
Updated on

Summary Initially, doctors said they would be unable to save his limb.

(Web Desk) - A man who lost his right hand in an accident at work has had it successfully reattached after doctors grafted it to his ankle for a month.

Xiao Wei underwent reattachment surgery in Changsha, Hunan province, after badly injuring himself in November.

Initially, doctors said they would be unable to save his limb.

Mr Wei said: "I was just shocked and frozen to the spot, until colleagues unplugged the machine and retrieved my hand and took me to the hospital.

"I am still young, and I couldn't imagine life without a right hand."

However, doctors at a larger hospital offered a solution and opted to sew the hand to the ankle to stop it dying while they treated his other injuries.

Nearly a month after his hand was severed, Wei had recovered sufficiently to undergo reattachment surgery. 

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