Man has hands reattached in 9-hour operation
In a medical first for the country, a team of surgeons at Songklanagarind Hospital has successfully performed the simultaneous reattachment of a patient's two severed hands.
Hospital director Dr Sumeth Peerawuth announced the results of the landmark surgery yesterday. The historic operation, which lasted about eight hours, began only nine hours after a neighbour attacked 67-year-old Suchon Pengsud with a sickle in their hometown in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Sichon district last Thursday, lopping off both his hands. Following the attack, Suchon was rushed to Sichon Hospital without both hands. Hospital staff immediately instructed Suchon's relatives to return to the scene of the attack and recover the hands. At 7pm that evening, the hospital referred Suchon to the better-equipped Maharaj Hospital, which then sent the attack victim and his hands to Songklanagarind Hospital. "The severed hands were kept tightly wrapped in plastic bags, which were placed in ice," Sumeth said. After Suchon was admitted, Songklanagarind Hospital specialists examined him and formed two sub-teams to simultaneously reattach the two hands. Dr Sittichoke Anantaseri and Dr Suntorn Wongsiri, both experts in hand surgery, led the teams in performing the surgery. Other doctors involved in the operation included Dr Chanin Boontangjai, Dr Thavorn Thongpetch, Dr Peerapong Chaiwiriya and Dr Chakraphan Promsopa. "This was a very complicated operation involving micro-surgery. Our doctors had to reattach blood vessels, nerves, muscles and bones," Sumeth said. He described the surgery as a success, given that the severed hands were restored to their original positions and the patient could move his fingers. Sittichoke was confident that Suchon would eventually be able to grab and hold things with his hands after he fully recovers. He also offered a useful tip to anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in a situation similar to Suchon's: "Keep severed organs in clean, dry plastic bags and tie the bags up tightly. Then, put the bags into ice but make sure that no water can get into them. The patients and the severed organs should reach doctors as soon as possible," Sittichoke said. Sumeth said the hospital offered the treatment to Suchon free of charge, as a gesture of merit on behalf of His Majesty the King. The country is currently celebrating the 60th anniversary of His Majesty's accession to the throne. Suchon's daughter said her father was attacked because the neighbour mistakenly believed Suchon was making advances towards his wife. The neighbour was arrested.
Thorranit Pirunla-ong The Nation Songkhla
|
