Miracle: 1 year after an accident that severed his leg, a male worker was able to walk

(Dan Tri) - More than a year after an accident that severed his leg, required limb reattachment surgery, and a series of difficult treatments, the man was able to walk on his own thanks to his extraordinary willpower.

That is the spectacular recovery story of Mr. NTN (34 years old, living in Dong Thap province).

Previously, on April 27, 2024, due to a moment of carelessness while working, the male worker's left leg was caught in a fabric rolling machine and severed. Immediately after the terrible accident, his colleagues pulled him out, quickly stopped the bleeding, preserved the severed leg and transferred him to the hospital.

At the Emergency Department of a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, the patient's general condition and cardiovascular symptoms began to show signs of shock, with a gradually increasing pulse and a drop in blood pressure. Mr. N.'s left leg was severed at the lower leg and his right thigh was injured.

Doctors quickly activated the emergency system, administered fluid resuscitation, anti-shock, and pain relief to the patient, as well as explained to the family about the prognosis and risks of limb reattachment surgery. The time from admission to surgery was only 15 minutes.

The surgery to reattach the severed limb lasted for 7 hours, with the high concentration of the Orthopedic Trauma team. The doctors performed wound debridement, microsurgical arteriovenous suture, bone fixation, complete reconstruction of the severed left leg, and satisfactory treatment of the injury to the right thigh.

As the person who directly performed the surgery, Master, Doctor, Nguyen Thanh Luan - Deputy Head of the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology - said that this was a case of severe "twisting" injury, so the severed limb was severely crushed from the lower part of the thigh to the end of the lower leg.

The main artery of the severed part is crushed in many parts and is prolonged. The possibility of reattaching the limb is very low (only 30-40%), because the risk of the crushed artery causing thrombosis is high.

The patient's leg after the first surgery (Photo: Hospital).

With the experience and smooth coordination of the surgeons and the support of specialized equipment systems and good microsurgical instruments, the surgery went smoothly.

After that, Mr. N. continued to undergo 5 surgeries in the next half year. From a person who was once desperate because of his unhealed leg, thanks to the timely intervention of doctors and persistent training, he was able to walk on his own and gradually returned to work just one year after the incident.

"Every step is a burst of joy, a victory over fate and fear in his heart. This is a spectacular recovery, demonstrating the patient's strong will as well as the success of limb reattachment surgery and rehabilitation," the doctors commented.

The patient was able to walk by himself just one year after the accident (Photo: Family provided).

Through the above case, Master, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Luan recommends that people pay attention to labor safety. If an accident occurs and a limb is severed, the limb must be properly preserved to ensure a smooth surgery and a higher chance of success.

Specifically, it is necessary to quickly wash the severed limb with saline solution or clean water, then wrap it in sterile gauze or clean cloth, put it in a nylon bag, tie it tightly and put it in a bucket of ice water (ideal temperature 4-5°C).

Absolutely do not let the severed limb come into direct contact with ice water, because if left for too long it can cause frostbite. After that, the patient must be quickly transferred to a medical facility capable of performing microsurgery to reattach the severed limb, avoiding excessive movement which would waste precious time that could save the limb.

"The golden time to reattach a severed limb is 6 hours after the accident, so the victim should be taken to the hospital as soon as possible," the doctor added.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/ky-dieu-1-nam-sau-khi-bi-tai-nan-dut-lia-chan-nam-cong-nhan-da-di-duoc-20250816090442938.htm