Plastic/hand surgeon Dr. Leon Alexander checks on the re-attached left index finger of Mohamed Mansour Mohamed.

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Accidents happen any time anywhere and so always be careful. The reminder is up as an Egyptian farm worker in Abu Dhabi, visiting a friend, nearly lost his left index finger while, as he trying to close the bathroom window, a glass pane suddenly fell.

“Fortunately, my friend’s house is located near Burjeel Medical City. When I realised the extent of my injuries, I thought I had permanently lost that finger,” recounted Mohamed Mansour Mohamed, 30, whose last memory of the incident was that all went black.

Good thing that Mohamed’s friend did not panic. He was able to pick up the cut portion of the left index finger before an ambulance drove them to the hospital.

Plastic/hand surgeon Dr. Leon Alexander performed the emergency meticulous six-hour finger replantation/reconstructive micro-surgery on Mohamed since his severed left index finger “was not severely crushed” and was deemed “preserved properly.” The medical team also determined that the “reduced blood and oxygen supply time was less.”

American Society for the Surgery of the Hand member Alexander was asked for the common reasons for hand injuries and what hand occupational therapy is all about.

Based on the records of the Burjeel Holdings – of which Burjeel Medical City is a part – injuries to the hand ranging from superficial lacerations to total amputation are commonly seen in the Emergency Department.

According to Alexander, hand accidents happen for the following reasons: “lack of safety (measures) such as protective gear while handling hazardous materials; improper use of equipment such as a power tool; and inadequate training on how to use tools and machinery.”

He said: “A replanted body part never regains 100 per cent of its original use. Most doctors consider 60 to 80 per cent of use as an excellent result. However, most replanted digits get approximately 50 per cent of total motion. Despite this, a replanted digit is always better than a finger/hand prosthesis both in terms of appearance and function. The cut nerves will regenerate (and sensation would be felt again) after about six to 12 months.”