Abu Dhabi: A patient’s middle finger has been successfully reattached in Al Ain after it was bitten off by a camel, Tawam Hospital said on Tuesday.
The patient, a 26-year-old man, was feeding a camel when he was bitten. He was rushed to the hospital’s emergency department and treated for post-traumatic amputation of the middle finger in his right hand, the hospital said in a statement.
“In instances when a body part is injured to the point of amputation, time is of the essence. It is crucial for a patient and the body part to be brought to the hospital in order to save the individual. In this particular case, the patient was fortunate to have been brought right away to Tawam,” said Dr Ammar Al Dhamin, primary surgeon and plastic surgery specialist at Tawam.
Camel bite injuries themselves are common among handlers.
A study by experts at UAE University in Al Ain earlier found that such injuries are most common during the camels’ mating season.
According to doctors, the finger that had been bitten off in this case was badly chewed. A microsurgical procedure, which is performed using miniature equipment under a microscope, was used to successfully replant the digit.
Within four weeks, the patient regained normal functioning with his right hand, and was discharged from the facility.
“We are seeing more and more successful replantation and revascularisation procedures through the use of microsurgery techniques. Precision and timing are very crucial and, with the help of our experts, we manage to restore normal body functions for our patients,” said Dr Guido Mannaerts, chairman of surgery at the hospital.
Tawam Hospital is a 461-bed public facility in Al Ain managed and operated by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha).
It specialises in complex surgeries and the treatment of cancer.
