Newborn gets new thumb from her INDEX finger through rare surgery

NEW DELHI: The mother of a newborn’ heart sank the moment she witnessed the disfigured hand of her baby. The baby who was born with a small underdeveloped thumb in her right hand, (Radial Club Hand with Hypoplastic thumb) got a new thumb after a successful re-construct surgery of the thumb form the girl index finger.

The mother of the newborn Rashmi ( name changed) and her husband then decided that they will not let their daughter suffer with this problem for lifetime. They, therefore, rushed from pillar to post for a solution to this complex problem and finally landed up at a prominent private hospital where they met Chairman in Orthopedics, Dr PP Kotwal who gave them some hope with the possible treatment.

Dr PP Kotwal decided to reconstruct the thumb from the girl’s index finger using a procedure called Pollicization.

The 4-hour long surgery involved rotating Ayushi’s index finger, shortening it, placing it where the thumb would normally be and then restoring the finger’s blood vessels and nerves. Dr Kotwal also had to make sure the recreated thumb would be able to develop normally so that when Ayushi grows up, she wouldn’t be stuck with a baby-sized thumb.

This new thumb reconstructed from the index finger would now look like a thumb and also function like one. “It’s an incredibly Challenging operation,” Dr Kotwal said.

“This is one of the most complex operations that I have done because a child’s hand is very small. The structures such as blood vessels, nerves... etc — everything are minuscule.

According the expert, this surgery gives best results in terms of function if it is done around 1 to 1.5 years of age. In this age, the adaptability of the brain for the newly reconstructed thumb is optimum. If any adult were to undergo the same procedure, he would have a hard time learning how to use his new thumb because the mature brain doesn’t have the same adaptability”. Rashmi still remembers the moment she first saw her daughter’s recreated thumb. She was in tears.

Now Ayushi will be able to pick up tiny things, lift or hold heavy objects, like a Sippy cup filled with milk, and use crayons. Although the surgery has left Ayushi with one thumb and 3 fingers, but many times people don’t notice that one finger which is missing.

Moreover, thumb is a very important body part that is required in almost every function of the hand. In these children, the goal is to provide them a functional hand and the ability to do anything that any other child can do.