Successful management of an amputated hand at the distal row level of carpal bones in low-resources country: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Hand replantation (HR) surgery is a delicate and complex procedure that requires a multidisciplinary team (MT) and specialized equipment, as well as factors such as ischemia time and injury mechanism that can impact the procedure's potential complications and success rate. We present the first case of successful management within a low-resources setting of an amputated hand in Syria. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 20-year-old male presented to the emergency department with an amputated left hand at the distal row of carpal bones (CB) with sharp edges. We first managed the condition by stopping the bleeding and washing the hand with saline. The MT performed a ten-hour surgery to reattach the hand using external fixation and vascular, orthopedic, and neurosurgical procedures. The patient was discharged seven days after surgery and had regular follow-ups for two years and seven months, which showed normal sensory evaluation and mild numbness in the ulnar side of the dorsal side of the palm. DISCUSSION: HR surgery is challenging and requires an MT and appropriate equipment. Also, amputated hand management requires a specialized center, which was absent in our settings. Hence, the outcome of the surgery was excellent, considering the traditional and old-fashioned techniques followed to establish such an operation in a low-resources country. CONCLUSION: Precise preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative procedures, besides long-term follow-up, are crucial to ensure HR surgery success and effectiveness, in addition to the patient's recovery.