Fed: Surgeons attach fingers of severed left hand to right hand

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2001
Fed: Surgeons attach fingers of severed left hand to right hand

Australian doctors have successfully transferred the fingers of a man's severed left
hand to his right hand in the first operation of its kind in the country.

JONATHON PATON was critically injured in a train accident and was near death when taken
to hospital.

Channel Nine says his left arm had been severed, his left leg crushed and later amputated
and his right arm crushed,

Six weeks ago, a team of Australian plastic surgeons, orthopedic surgeons and other
medical staff operated to replace the crushed fingers of his right hand using those saved
from his severed left arm.

Mr PATON is today recovering in Sydney's Prince Of Wales Hospital where the operation
was carried out and iss expected to be celebrate Christmas at home with his family.

Dr MARK GIANOUTSOS says the fingers were successfully transferred at palm level in
a marathon 15 hour operation.

Mr PATON will now undergo a 12 week intensive therapy course and is expected to have
almost normal use of his hand within nine months.

AAP RTV sal/wz

KEYWORD: HAND (SYDNEY)

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