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World of the Bizarre

Man has severed thumb replaced with toe

By T.K. Randall
September 14, 2011 · Comment icon 12 comments

Image Credit: sxc.hu
A man who lost his thumb in an accident has had his toe transplanted on to his hand in place of it.
James Byrne had been sawing some wood when he accidentally sawed through his thumb as well. Surgeons did all they could to re-attach it however despite their best efforts they could't get the blood in to it flowing again. To get around this, Byrne's big toe was instead attached to his hand as a replacement thumb.
After an attempt to re-attach his damaged thumb failed, plastic surgeons at Frenchay Hospital transplanted his left big toe to his hand. Surgeon Umraz Khan said: "The loss of the toe is not as disabling as losing a thumb, so the loss outweighs the gain. "


Source: BBC News | Comments (12)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #3 Posted by Nightpath 14 years ago
I know a guy who had this done 20 years ago, here in Nova Scotia. They used his 2nd largest toe to replace his thumb after it was ripped off in an accident at a factory. Why would this be news??
Comment icon #4 Posted by allanp 14 years ago
I also know a guy who had this done in the 1980's, here in New Zealand.
Comment icon #5 Posted by Spectre1979 14 years ago
I have met three people here in NZ with the exact same thing done to them! Maybe it is a kiwi thing? lol
Comment icon #6 Posted by Robert1 14 years ago
Isn't this actually rather common. I knew a kid back in highschool, 25 years ago, who was born with physical birth defects and had like 4 toes put onto his hands in place of missing/crippled fingers. I'm not sure haow common it is, but it's not an unheard of procedure.
Comment icon #7 Posted by Taut 14 years ago
Oh, for heaven's sake, they've been doing this for the 33 years I've been in medicine. What made this one special?
Comment icon #8 Posted by Rob Awesome 14 years ago
Saw a story where a burn victim had a finger removed and the materials used to make a makeshift willie. What would really impress me is someone having their fingers attatched to their feet to replace toes, now that would be creepy-awesome
Comment icon #9 Posted by InnocentDemon 14 years ago
Wow. This is soooo gross?
Comment icon #10 Posted by BaneSilvermoon 14 years ago
Yeah I was coming in to comment on this not being anything new as well. Check out this vid. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHNpYxCSnUM
Comment icon #11 Posted by Swamptick 14 years ago
Better than being without a thumb.
Comment icon #12 Posted by Skeptic Chicken 14 years ago
Better than being without a thumb. "Oh, I put the change I owe you on the counter. Cya later." NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!


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