Toe-to-Hand Transplantation Lasted 11 Hours

At the Clinic for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery of the University Clinical Center Sarajevo, an extremely demanding surgery of transplanting toes to the hand was performed last week, the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo announced, as reported by the Bosnian news agency Patria.

- Microsurgical transplantation of toes to the hand, in cases of devastating hand injuries, is one of the most complex operations, requiring the reconnection of bones, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and skin. This procedure is a rarity in modern surgical centers worldwide.

The surgical procedure was performed on a patient with initials T.E. (born 1976), from Sanski Most, who lost his fingers while working with a machine. Such an operation is a great rarity, and the last one in Bosnia and Herzegovina was performed 25 years ago, led by Prof. Ninković.

The success of this complex operation is owed to a large team of experts with an interdisciplinary approach. The surgical team consisted of Mr. Dr. Goran Obradović, Mr. Dr. Adnan Zećo, Prim. Mr. Dr. Alija Aginčić, Prim. Dr. Alemko Čvorak, and Dr. Zuhra Memić, with instrument nurses Alma Lemeš, Lejla Hadžić, and Indira Ormanović. The operation, which lasted eleven hours, was led by anesthesiologists Dr. Vuković and Dr. Zaratin, along with anesthetists Nermina Brutus, Enisa Rožajac, and Belma Mušija.

During the operation and postoperatively, the patient received maximum hospital care, with experienced nurses and technicians, without whom such complex operations are not possible.

To restore hand function, which is the primary goal of the surgical procedure, physical therapy will be necessary in the further course.

With this operation, the Clinic for Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery once again confirmed itself as an institution where a wide range of operations in the field of reconstructive microsurgery can be performed, thus reaffirming its status as a successful team.