Surgeons save Brazilian man's hand by sewing it into his stomach

Surgeons have helped save a Brazilian man’s
hand from being amputated by putting it inside
a 'pocket' in his stomach.
Carlos Mariotti, 42, who's a machine production
operator suffered a horrific work accident that
peeled off all the skin on his hand.
Mr Mariotti was operating a machine that
manufactures coils at a plastic factory, when
his hand was dragged into the heavy duty
equipment. He said it was like watching a
movie play out in front of him when he saw the
machine pulling his hand in and he couldn’t do
anything stop it from happening. He said he
started screaming but when his colleagues did
not immediately respond to his screams, he
wrenched his hand out of the machine himself.
Shortly after he pulled his hand out,he
colleagues came running and tried to save the
hand by wrapping it tightly in bandages.
Fortunately, Doctors were able to save his
hand by putting it inside his abdomen and
covered it with a flap of protective skin.
Marriotti now has to keep his damaged hand
inside the soft tissue pouch for six weeks.
Orthopaedic and traumatology doctor, Boris
Brandao, who performed the rare surgery said:
"Mr Marriotti suffered a de-gloving injury
which left him with very little skin on the
palm and back of his hand, exposing the
bones and tendons inside.
“This was a very large and delicate injury
and the only place we could fit the
whole hand was in the abdomen. Without
this procedure, there would be a high risk
of infection and the tissue and tendons
would rot away,” Dr Brandao said.
Mr Mariotti who is still recovering in the
hospital said:
“I still get very emotional when I think
about the accident. But it was only when
doctors told me I could lose my hand
that I realised the gravity of the
situation.
“When I woke up from the operation I
didn’t know whether it was still there. I
couldn’t believe it when they said they
had tucked my hand inside me.”
“It’s a really weird feeling trying to
wiggle my fingers inside my body and
creepy seeing my tummy protrude
slightly as I prod around,” Mr Mariotti
said.
Mariotti lost two fingers of his right fingers- his
index and middle fingers - in the accident.
He added:
“I am just so grateful because at least I
will still be able to hold a fork, grip a
steering wheel and dress myself without
any help.”
Dr Brandao said medics decided to perform an
immediate “salvaging” procedure because “if
we can save a hand we always try to find a
way to do so.”
He explained:
“In order to keep the wounded hand
alive, we opened the abdomen, took off
the skin and put it inside the cavity to
protect it. The patient’s hand must stay
in the pocket for about 42 days to
ensure it develops new tissue and
tendon material which is capable of
receiving a replanted skin graft.”
"Mr Mariotti will suffer impaired function
as he will not get all the movement back
in his hand.
“But he will have a working hand and will
be able to do the pincer movement. At
least this is a better quality of life
compared to having an amputated hand,”
he said.