E-Paper
Delhi painter who lost both hands ready to hold his brush again after double transplant
45-year-old who had lost both hands in a train accident underwent 12-hour-long bilateral hand transplant operation in Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
A 45-year-old painter who had lost both his hands in a train accident four years ago, underwent a 12-hour long bilateral hand transplant operation in Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, PTI reported.
Raj Kumar, a resident of Nangloi in the capital, was crossing the railway track near his house on his bicycle when he lost control over it and fell down on the tracks and came under a train.
He became dependent on others for his day-to-day activities, said Dr Mahesh Mangal, chairman of the Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery at the medical facility.
His only options were either the use of prosthetics or hand transplant. He began using prosthetics but his prosthetic trail was unsuccessful and his only hope was a hand transplant, he said.
In February 2023, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital,became the first hospital in north India to receive permission to perform hand transplant.
"When we were looking for potential candidates for hand transplant, Kumar was on our waiting list. As per transplant protocols, detailed examination and necessary investigations were done. In third week of January, a glimmer of optimism emerged for Raj Kumar when he got a call from the hospital," the doctor said.
On January 19, a team of surgeons collaborated to execute the intricate procedure, delicately reattaching various components – bones, arteries, veins, tendons, muscles, nerves, and skin.
Precision and expertise were the key, ensuring the seamless integration of the transplanted hands into Raj Kumar's body, Mangal said.
Doctors remove 39 coins, 37 magnets from patient's intestine
In another development, the doctors at Sir Ganga Ram hospital removed 39 coins and 37 magnets from a man's intestine after a surgery, ANI reported. The patient was suffering from a psychiatric illness and swallowed the coins and magnets on assumption that zinc helps in body building.
The 26-year-old was rushed to the emergency ward of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital with complaints of vomiting and abdominal pain for more than 20 days.
He was first attended by senior consultant Dr Tarun Mittal in the outpatient department. The patient's relatives said that he had been swallowing coins and magnets for the past few weeks. The patient was also on treatment for psychiatric illness, ANI reported.
A CT scan of the abdomen showed a huge load of coins and magnets causing blockage of the intestine. The patient was immediately prepared for the surgery.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)
