Miracle surgery at Odisha’s Hi-Tech Medical College saves security guard’s arm

By Ruchika Mohapatra

Bhubaneswar, March 11:  In a remarkable medical feat, doctors at Hi-Tech Medical College and Hospital, Bhubaneswar, successfully restored the blood supply to the arm of a 35-year-old security guard from Angul district, who suffered a severe vascular injury following a bike accident.

Hemant Dehury, the patient whose elbow swelled up and hand turned numb after the accident, initially sought treatment at a nearby hospital. However, despite multiple consultations across three to four hospitals, his condition failed to improve. Desperate for relief, he finally arrived at the emergency department of Hi-Tech Medical College, where doctors promptly diagnosed a critical vascular injury at the elbow level, cutting off blood supply to his hand.

Recognising the urgency, a team of plastic surgeons led by Dr Chinmaya Chiranjibi Samal conducted an immediate CT angiography, which revealed a 10-12 cm long segmental brachial artery injury above the elbow joint. With time running out to save the limb, the doctors swiftly decided on an emergency limb salvage surgery.

The procedure, performed by Dr Samal along with a dedicated anaesthesia team headed by Dr Santanu Kumar Das, lasted three and a half hours. The surgical team successfully restored blood circulation by performing a bypass interposition vein graft, ensuring proper blood flow to the affected arm.

Following the surgery, Hemant’s condition stabilised, with doctors confirming good blood perfusion and a warm distal limb, clear signs of successful circulation restoration. “The intraoperative and postoperative periods were uneventful, and the patient’s recovery has been smooth,” said Dr Samal.

This complex and technically challenging procedure at Hi-Tech Medical College not only relieved the patient’s suffering but also exemplified the hospital’s growing expertise in life-saving vascular and microvascular surgeries. The success of such interventions provides new hope for patients battling severe limb-threatening injuries.