Chinese surgeon Qiu Shenqiang has performed a rare and innovative reconstructive procedure using heterotopic grafting to temporarily attach a patient's severed ear to her foot, marking a major advance in complex microsurgery, the South China Morning Post reported.
A microsurgical team at Shandong Provincial Hospital in Jinan carried out the one-of-a-kind operation after a factory worker surnamed Sun suffered catastrophic injuries when her hair became entangled in industrial machinery.
The accident tore away large areas of skin from her scalp and neck and severed her ear along with surrounding tissue, according to the hospital.
Sun was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
After stabilizing her condition, a medical team led by Qiu, deputy director of the hospital's microsurgery unit, determined that conventional ear reattachment was impossible due to extensive vascular damage.
Surgeons initially tried standard scalp reconstruction, but destroyed blood vessels prevented reliable blood flow to support immediate reattachment of the ear.
Facing an unprecedented situation, Qiu and his team opted for an unconventional solution: grafting the ear onto the top of the patient's foot, where it could "survive" and regenerate blood supply until her head and neck tissues healed enough for final reconstruction.
The technique, known as heterotopic grafting, involves transplanting tissue to a location other than its original anatomical site.
While commonly used in microsurgery to preserve amputated fingers or tissue flaps, it is rarely performed for complex facial structures such as ears.
Microsurgery relies on specialized techniques and high-powered microscopes to reconnect extremely small blood vessels and nerves, often less than half a millimeter in diameter.
In this case, surgeons spent nearly 10 hours reconnecting vessels measuring just 0.2 to 0.3 millimeters wide.
The foot was chosen because its blood vessels closely match those of the ear, and its thin skin and soft tissue allow for easier reshaping during later procedures.
More than five months after the accident, surgeons completed the final stage of reconstruction in October, successfully reattaching the ear to Sun's head during a six-hour operation.
The hospital said it is the first fully documented case of its kind.
Sun has since been discharged from the hospital.
Qiu said her facial structure and tissue function have been largely restored, though she will require additional procedures, including eyebrow reconstruction and reduction of scarring on her foot.
"We will do our utmost to save lives, no matter how small the chance is," Qiu said. "The philosophy of perseverance and striving for excellence is a commitment integrated into every surgery and every act of health protection."
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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