The fingers are the "executors" of the human body's delicate movements and are also an important guarantee for the quality of life. Recently, the hand and foot microsurgery team of Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital successfully performed a reattachment surgery for the right thumb, middle finger, and reconstruction of the index finger on a 47-year-old female patient. Through 11 hours of intense and precise operations, 29 important blood vessels, nerves, and tendons were successfully anastomosed, helping the patient restore hand function.

Ms. Wang, 47 years old, runs a small noodle-making workshop and has been making a living through hard work for many years. One morning, as she was operating the noodle press as usual to prepare for retail sales, she accidentally let her right hand enter the running machine. Instantly, the noodle press crushed her, causing severe injuries to her thumb, index finger, and middle finger. The intense pain nearly made her faint. 
At around 5 o'clock in the morning, the family members discovered the situation and immediately sent Ms. Wang to Yantai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine for emergency treatment. After a preliminary examination, it was found that Ms. Wang's right thumb, middle finger, skin, bones and muscles were all severely amputated, her index finger was severely damaged, and due to the gear-like structure of the bread press, her right fingers were covered with irregular injuries. The wound was severely contaminated, with damaged blood vessels, nerves and tendons, and the disorder of these tissues would lead to complete loss of some finger functions if not treated promptly. It could not only cause finger necrosis but also potentially trigger complications such as infections, resulting in the complete loss of some finger functions. 
After the patient was admitted, the hand and foot microsurgery team of Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital immediately activated the emergency green channel. Director Li Liang led the team to quickly conduct a comprehensive assessment of Ms. Wang's injury, complete preoperative examinations, clean the wound, fix the bones and joints, and search for nerves, blood vessels and tendons that could be anastomosed, thus securing valuable time for the surgery. Based on the examination results, the team determined that although the patient's thumb and middle fingers were severely injured, a replantation surgery could still be attempted; the index finger was severely damaged, and according to the "hand-foot homology" concept, a transplant from the toe could be used for reconstruction to restore the hand function to the greatest extent. Thus, a "battle to save the fingers against time" began.

The diameter of the blood vessels at the fingertips is only 0.1-0.3 millimeters, even thinner than a hair. At such a scale, doctors not only need to precisely align the tiny blood vessels, nerves and tendons, but also have to complete the reattachment of the thumb and middle finger and the reconstruction of the index finger in two steps. The surgical difficulty is extremely high. It is a great test for the technical level, coordination and physical endurance of the surgical team. 
To ensure the safety and effectiveness of the surgery, before the operation, the hand and foot microsurgery team, in combination with Ms. Wang's injury condition, formulated a personalized surgical plan. The team members clearly defined their roles and worked collaboratively to ensure that every step of the operation was precise and error-free. During the operation, the surgical team conducted meticulous operations under high-power ultra-clear microscopes, like "sewing", carefully connecting each severed blood vessel, nerve and tendon to ensure smooth blood circulation after the operation. First, the team performed debridement and bone repositioning and fixation on the severed thumb and middle finger, then precisely connected the arteries, veins and nerves to restore the blood circulation and sensory function of the fingers; subsequently, Director Li Liang precisely cut an appropriate foot bone from the patient's second toe to recreate the damaged index finger, completing the connections of bones, blood vessels, nerves and tendons to ensure that the recreated finger had a natural appearance and coordinated functions. 
Throughout the entire surgical procedure, the hand and foot microsurgery team worked with utmost precision, not daring to slack off in the slightest, ensuring that every step was carried out with extreme accuracy to the very last detail. Due to the high difficulty and complex process of the surgery, the intense operations lasted for a full 11 hours. 
When the last blood vessel connection was completed and the tourniquet was released, seeing the reattached thumb, middle finger and the reconstructed index finger gradually regain their redness and the capillary response being rapid, Li Liang finally breathed a sigh of relief. This "finger-saving battle" that lasted for 11 hours was successfully concluded. After the surgery, Ms. Wang was transferred to the ward. The medical team formulated a detailed nursing plan, continuously observing the blood circulation of the fingers 24 hours a day, and guiding the patient to undergo early rehabilitation training to prevent the occurrence of complications such as thrombosis and infection. Currently, Ms. Wang's hand has recovered well, the reattached and reconstructed fingers have smooth blood circulation, and she can perform simple flexion and extension movements, gradually restoring her hand function.

Since its establishment, the Hand and Foot Microsurgery Department of Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital has been focusing on the core goal of "precise microsurgical diagnosis and treatment, and restoration of hand and foot functions". With its proficient microsurgical skills and efficient emergency treatment system, it has gradually become a reliable support for treating hand and foot injuries for patients in Yantai and the surrounding areas of Jiaodong. 
The vigorous development of microsurgery for hands and feet is an important achievement of our hospital's deepening of the construction of specialized Western medicine departments. In the future, Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital will keep up with the times, adhere to tradition while innovating, and continuously promote the deep integration and development of the Chinese and Western medical diagnosis and treatment systems, providing people with more comprehensive and high-quality health protection, and writing the story of medical professionals with strength.