Dr. Nguyen Duy Anh of Cho Ray Hospital reported that the patient was admitted on the evening of August 29th. His right hand had been severed, and the missing hand had not yet been located at the time of admission. He also suffered an injury to his left eyelid.

The patient underwent surgery to treat his right wrist and suture his left eyelid. Currently, his vital signs are stable, and he remains under observation.

A representative of the Tan Vinh Loc Commune People's Committee said that the next morning, a woman discovered the severed hand by the roadside. Authorities confirmed it belonged to the injured man. The family has since retrieved the hand.

The optimal time frame for reattaching a severed limb is six hours, provided the severed part is properly preserved.

Proper preservation involves rinsing the severed part with saline solution or clean water, wrapping it in sterile gauze or clean cloth, placing it in a sealed clean nylon bag, and then placing the bag on ice. Direct contact with ice should be avoided to prevent damage to blood vessels and nerves. The remaining wound on the body should be bandaged with a compression bandage or clean cloth to minimize blood loss.

Doctors operate on the patient at a hospital in TP HCM. *Photo: Quynh Tran*

Le Phuong - Dinh Vui