Thumb Transplant: Doctor’s Miracle- Created A Thumb From A Toe

In a remarkable display of surgical innovation and teamwork, doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, successfully reconstructed the thumb of a 20-year-old male who sustained devastating injuries in a road traffic accident involving a bike and a tractor.

The patient suffered total amputation of his left leg below the knee and total amputation of left thumb. Upon arrival at the hospital, the trauma team acted swiftly. The amputated parts (left leg and thumb) examined for reimplantation, but due to severe crush injuries, they were unsuitable for reimplantation (reattachment).
In an extraordinary decision, the surgical team chose to use the second toe from the amputated leg to reconstruct the lost thumb—a procedure that not only restored hand function but also utilized tissue from the non-salvageable limb.
The complex microsurgical procedure was performed under the guidance of Dr. Mahesh Mangal (Senior Consultant and Head of the Department of Plastic. Cosmetic and Hand Microsurgery), by his skilled team comprising Dr. Nikhil Jhunjhunwala (Consultant Hand and Microsurgeon), Dr. Arjun Krishna (DNB resident), and Dr. Rishika Bachani ( DNB resident).

Microsurgery started in 1981 in The Department of Plastic Surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi. Dr. Mahesh Mangal, Chairman, Department of Plastic surgery, says since then the department has grown to become a center of excellence in Reimplantation of cut body parts due to industrial, agricultural, household, road traffic accidents, etc. We have done more than 700 reimplants of different body parts like fingers, toes, penis, scalp, ear, upper limb, etc. Dr. Mahesh Mangal would like to emphasize the importance of bringing the amputated parts, patients and relatives should always try and search for the amputated part at the trauma scene. Timely, efficient transportation of the patient and the preserved amputated part to the reimplantation center is critical for survival and function.