12-year-old boy cut two fingers to help his family

(Dan Tri) - While using a sickle to cut cassava to help his family, a 12-year-old boy had an accident that almost severed two of his fingers.

On the afternoon of August 5, a representative of Children's Hospital 2 (HCMC) said that recently, doctors here performed surgery to reattach limbs for a boy who had a tragic accident.

The patient is LNH (12 years old, residing in Tay Ninh province). Medical history shows that while using an iron sickle to cut cassava to help his family, the 12-year-old boy accidentally cut his left hand's 1st and 2nd fingers.

When he was admitted to the Children's Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, the patient's fingers were almost severed, with only a skin bridge remaining. Doctors said that the boy would likely lose both fingers completely if microsurgery was not performed.

The boy suffered serious injuries to his arm after the tragic accident (Photo: NT).

Therefore, surgery was performed immediately, with the hope of preserving the two fingers that play an important role in the hand's function. Doctors performed neurovascular sutures and bone fusion for the child.

After a 6-hour surgery, the patient was able to keep 2 fingers, with pink tips and movement at the metacarpophalangeal joints. It is expected that the child will continue to have tendon sutures in the near future.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Nga, Deputy Head of the Burn and Orthopedics Department of Children's Hospital 2, in this case, the patient did not arrive at the hospital too late, the wound was sharp and did not cause much soft tissue damage.

The patient's two fingers were successfully reattached after surgery (Photo: NT).

However, the difficulty lies in the location of the wound right at the metatarsal joint of the first finger. If not treated properly, the wound when healed will cause stiffness and reduce the range of motion of the thumb.

In addition, by examining the wound under a microscope, doctors discovered many foreign objects in the wound, scattered along the path of the nerves and blood vessels of the finger. To intervene, the treatment team had to carefully suture, graft and find a replacement blood vessel branch.

Doctor Nga recommends that when someone has an accident with a severed limb, priority should be given to stopping the bleeding by using a bandage or a clean towel or cloth to wrap it. Severed limbs should be stored properly (put in a plastic bag, tied tightly and kept on ice) to avoid infection.

If there is a suspicion of an accident affecting the bone, use a splint to immobilize the wound while moving, then take the victim to the hospital as soon as possible.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/di-cat-mi-phu-giup-gia-dinh-be-trai-12-tuoi-bi-dut-hai-ngon-tay-thuong-tam-20250805161250076.htm