The patient says he is optimistic about his long road to recovery and trusted the doctors with their new surgery.
An Italian man may regain use of hand after breakthrough nerve transfer from amputated leg, according to reports.
Marcello Gaviglio, 55, had to have half his left leg amputated after he was hit by a motorcycle five months ago while traveling to work on his moped. He suffered serious injuries to his brachial plexus as well as his leg, leaving him unable to use either of his hands, according to the New York Post.
Gaviglio, a health care worker, now might be able to regain use of his hand after surgeons at Turin City Hospital (CTO) came up with a breakthrough method, the New York post reported.
The surgeons transferred part of his sciatic nerve, which controlled the movement of his amputated foot, to his brachial plexus, the network of nerves that connect the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm and hand, New York Post reported.
Since part of the sciatic nerve that controlled his left foot was no longer needed, it could be transferred to the shoulder area, New York Post reported.
“It’s the first time that someone transfers a component of the sciatic nerve to the brachial plexus”, Paolo Titolo, one of the surgeons who performed the operation, said in an interview with Reuters.
While Gaviglio is still unable to use his hand, Titolo told Italian news media that he was optimistic about the patient slowly regaining control of the hand, according to EuroNews.
The healthcare worker will now undergo five months of post-operative care, according to EuroNews.
The operation was carried out on Dec. 21, and could be restore the mobility to one of his hands, the New York Post reported.
The Turin City Hospital said in a press release that the operation was the result of four years of intense research. It lasted a total of 12 hours.
"We think this is pioneering surgery, because if it works it means that the brain plasticity can control also other parts of the body that we didn't expect and also opens new fields in neuro studies," Titolo told Reuters.
The patient says he is optimistic about his long road to recovery and trusted the doctors with their new surgery.
He told Reuters, "I thought about relying on a team of very good doctors and being able to move my hand again a little bit.”
