Kauvery Hospitals, Trichy, Achieves a milestone with three consecutive hand replantations

Trichy, 16^th July 2024  – Kauvery Hospitals, Trichy, have achieved a remarkable milestone by successfully performing three consecutive hand replantations within a one-month period. All three procedures have been successful, with the patients currently in their rehabilitation phase and expected to make a full recovery. Two patients were young men in their 20s, while the third was in his mid-40s. Two of these patients had their hands hacked off in vicious assaults, while the last patient suffered a crushing amputation caused by a high-pressure hydraulic press.

Replantations represent the pinnacle of microvascular surgery, involving the repair of bones, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels—some only a few millimeters in size— under a specialized operating microscope, using sutures finer than a human hair. The Department of Plastic and Microvascular Surgery at Kauvery Hospitals recently acquired the Zeiss Tivato microscope, one of the best operating microscopes in the world, capable of supporting supermicrosurgical procedures on blood vessels less than a millimeter in size.

The surgeries were performed by Dr. S. Skanda, Senior Consultant and Head of Plastic Surgery at Kauvery Trichy, and his team, which included Dr. Muralidhasan M., Dr. Shylesh Ramesh, and DrNB Superspeciality residents Dr. Preethivardhan and Dr. Pratheep. The anesthesia team was led by Dr. K. Senthil Kumar. 

Replantation is a team effort that involves restoring an amputated part of the same patient, as opposed to transplantation, which uses parts from another donor.

On the National Plastic Surgery Day, Kauvery Trichy inaugurated two unique services: the Kauvery Lymphedema Clinic and the Regional Replant Centre. The Lymphedema Clinic offers comprehensive services for treating lymphedema, ranging from compression therapy to advanced supermicrosurgical procedures, giving new hope to patients suffering from lymphedema and its complications. The Regional Replant Centre aims to raise public awareness that many amputated parts can be replanted with excellent functional results, given sufficient expertise.

Speaking on National Plastic Surgery Day, Kauvery Hospitals Executive Director Dr. D. Senguttuvan highlighted the journey of Plastic Surgery at Kauvery Trichy, from its establishment to its current achievements and growth. Prof. R. Krishnamoorthy, Director of ICAPS at SIMS Hospital, Chennai, was the Chief Guest and spoke on the value of hand and microsurgical services to society and how they restore lives and livelihoods.

Dr. S. Skanda, Senior Consultant and Head of Plastic Surgery at Kauvery Trichy, spoke about the unique work done by the unit over the years and its transition to a teaching institute this academic year. Kauvery Trichy is now the first private institution in South Tamil Nadu to offer the DrNB (Plastic Surgery – Post MS, Superspeciality) course and only the second in Tamil Nadu to offer the course post MS General Surgery, highlighting the academic excellence of this elite unit.

The Replant Centre will operate 24/7, 365 days a year, serving the population of Trichy and the Delta region. The Lymphedema Clinic will function from Monday to Saturday, providing a new lease of hope and life to previously neglected patients.