A rare surgery performed on a four-year-old boy here saved him of a handicap after the severed part of his foot was re-joined at the precise point. The surgery was performed at the Indus Super-Specialty Hospital in Mohali.

Ayush belonging to Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, cut a major chunk of his heel in a “toka” (fodder cutting machine).

In a quick think response, the boy’s parents rightly wrapped the severed part of Ayush’s foot in damp gauze and stored it in a clean plastic bag, which was then put in a mixture of water and ice.

The part was brought with the patient to the hospital within two and a half hours of the accident.

In a marathon 8-hour long surgery performed by a team of surgeons, the severed portion of the foot was precisely joined nerve to nerve, bone to bone and blood vessel to blood vessel, getting it closest to its original form.

In a statement issued here today, the consultant plastic surgeon, Dr K D Aneja, who headed the team, said if there was a delay of more than 8 hours in bringing the patient to the hospital, the only option available was to amputate the leg below the knee.

But, since he was brought to the hospital well in time, the minor boy has his foot back in place and will be able to walk and play normally within a few weeks.

For the parents and relatives of the young boy, the surgery has been nothing short of a miracle.

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