A Yorkshire chef has given a big thumbs up to surgeons at Leeds General Infirmary for reattaching his severed thumb.
Professional chef Dan Parry, of Harrogate, was injured last Thursday (October 15), while working for a friend who owns a pub in Knaresborough.
A self-confessed hobbyist DIYer, Dan was helping put a cupboard back together when his chop saw kicked back and took his left thumb clean off.
Picking it up off the ground and sticking it a bag, the 46-year-old was driven to Harrogate Hospital who quickly bandaged it and sent him by ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary.
“They've just been absolutely brilliant and the surgeons are just phenomenal,” he said.
“I’ve walked in with a thumb in a bag and within no more than 24 hours it’s connected back up again and moving. It completely blew my mind.
“For me it’s about supporting LGI and what they do because it’s just been absolutely incredible. The staff have been so caring and the surgery team were just absolutely fantastic.”
With the trauma team already prepped and ready to go, Dan was rolled into a gruelling 10-hour overnight surgery upon his arrival at the hospital at 6pm on Thursday.
Reattaching not only the thumb, but its associated tendons, the surgery team did such a good job that by 5pm the next day, he had recovered some movement in his finger.
Seasoned staff at the hospital’s critical care unit even saw the funny side, requesting to see a CCTV video of the incident, which will now be used by the NHS for training purposes.
The 46-year-old spent over five days on the ward, but has now been discharged and is beginning his long road to recovery.
“From the person who greeted me when I first got lift out of the ambulance, they’ve just cared for me,” Dan said.
“All my family and friends their minds are blown and so thankful for what LGI have done. They were just fantastic and I couldn’t be any more grateful.
“I’m still in shock and a little bit of of pain but I’ve got plenty of movement in my hand and I can move my thumb. It’s all good at the moment so fingers crossed.”
The team at LGI reconnected all the tendons, arteries and veins in the thumb during surgery, as well as adding two pins in order to fuse the bone back together.
Despite his thumb looking like “something out of a Frankenstein movie” at the moment, Dan is hopeful he will regain full use of his within hand four weeks, and full sensation in his thumb within six months.
Leeds General Infirmary operates one of the busiest major trauma centres in the country, and its critical care team is currently rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission.
Dr Stephen Wilson, clinical director for trauma and related services, said: “We are proud to have a dedicated team of expert trauma surgeons and specialist healthcare professionals at Leeds.
“This is just one example of the remarkable, cutting-edge care our team provides to patients every day, and is a testament to their exceptional skill, collaboration, and commitment.
“This could have been a life-altering injury and we are delighted for Mr Parry and wish him all the very best in his recovery.”