A black finger does not equal a dead finger
Revascularisation and replant surgery occasionally produces sub-optimal results. We present two cases of near total amputation of the digits. The first patient was an 11-year-old boy with a middle finger avulsion injury sustained after the finger was caught in a washing machine with the flexor...
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2018
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Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/20627/1/26_ms0247_pdf_62763.pdf http://journalarticle.ukm.my/20627/ https://www.medicineandhealthukm.com/toc/13/2 |
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Summary: | Revascularisation and replant surgery occasionally produces sub-optimal results.
We present two cases of near total amputation of the digits. The first patient
was an 11-year-old boy with a middle finger avulsion injury sustained after the
finger was caught in a washing machine with the flexor digitorum profundus still
attached. The second patient was a 42-year-old male who sustained a machete
attack and had near total amputation of his small and ring fingers with a 2 cm skin
bridge still attached. All patients underwent revascularization with repair of only
one digital artery for each finger as the opposite artery was non-viable. No digital
veins were repaired. Relief of venous congestion was done by pin-prick six times
a day up till one week. At one week post-surgery, the fingers were discoloured
black but had good pulp turgor and full contour with arterial bleed on pin-prick.
Inexperienced surgeons may view this as gangrene and amputate the fingers.
However, we continued observation and at one month post-surgery, the black
skin had desloughed and the underlying skin was pink. |
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