Doctors at Amor Hospitals perform complex procedure to remobilize man's upper limb

Hyderabad: Doctors at Amor Hospitals announced on Monday that they have performed a complex surgical procedure to reconstruct a damaged right upper limb and remobilize the elbow and the shoulder in a patient who was unable to move his limb following a road accident.

Amor Hospitals is among the very few healthcare providers in Hyderabad where surgery for Brachial plexus injury is performed using most advanced equipment.

A 28-year-old male patient from Mancherial was referred to Amor Hospital to division of plastic and reconstructive surgery. The patient was suffering from loss of sensation in the right upper limb, along with absence of shoulder and elbow movements noticed after the major road accident the patient suffered.

Commenting on the condition and the procedure, Dr. Abhinandan Badam, Consultant Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon, Amor Hospital said, “Brachial plexus is the intricate network of nerves in the neck, which arise from the spinal cord. These nerves enable movement on shoulder, elbow and rest of the hand. This network got damaged during  the accident he suffered, a common cause for such a condition. An early diagnosis and treatment are critical to ensure positive outcome in such cases.”

“Clinical examination along with MRI and nerve conduction studies reconfirmed the patient’s condition and the severity of the damage. Though physiotherapy was administered for two more months to allow spontaneous recovery and localisation, the team of doctors did not see improvement in shoulder and elbow movements. The patient was posted for brachial plexus exploration followed by nerve grafting. In addition, nerve transfer, a highly advanced microsurgical procedure involving coaptation of functioning nerve fascicles to non-functioning nerves was performed” added Dr. Abhinandan.

It is important such conditions are identified early and surgery is performed within six months after sustaining the injury. While early identification offers 80-90% chance of recovery, its success falls drastically if the problem is addressed after six months. So, early referral to a Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon and to a center with adequate facility and expertise is extremely vital in handling such cases.