July 12th 2024.
Marcin Michalec, a skilled carpenter from London, had a terrifying accident last April. While using a table milling machine in his workshop, his hand slipped and he ended up cutting off his thumb and index finger. As a result, he thought his career as a carpenter was over. But despite this traumatic experience, Marcin never lost his love for carpentry and looked forward to returning to his craft.
In an incredible turn of events, Marcin underwent a groundbreaking surgery - a toe-to-thumb transplant. This was the first time such a surgery was performed on an adult in the UK. The nine-hour operation was a success, with surgeons at St Thomas' Hospital using the second toe of Marcin's right foot to create a new thumb for his injured left hand. This meant that Marcin could once again pursue his passion for carpentry.
The 46-year-old father-of-two had been practicing carpentry for decades and couldn't imagine a life without it. The accident left him devastated and he feared that he would never be able to work as a carpenter again. However, the successful surgery has given him hope and he is now "full of optimism for the future" and can't wait to get back to work, hopefully this autumn.
The surgery involved three operations so far, with Marcin's toe now attached to his hand to form a new thumb. Marcin recalls the moment of the accident, with people in the workshop shouting and running away. He tried to remain calm and called for help, but the shock initially numbed the pain. He even tried to stop the bleeding by pulling back the skin, not wanting to lose too much blood. His 23-year-old son, Slawomir, who was working with him, thought it was a prank at first but quickly realized the seriousness of the situation. They used their belts as tourniquets to stop the bleeding before rushing to the hospital.
Unfortunately, the doctors were not able to reattach Marcin's finger and thumb and suggested using prosthetics. However, this would mean the end of his carpentry career as he needs to be able to use both hands to guide his tools. This was a difficult reality for Marcin and his wife Monika, as they had many plans for the future. But the toe-to-thumb transplant gave him a ray of hope and he was excited for the surgery.
After waking up from the surgery and seeing his hand with parts of his thumb and finger back, Marcin was overjoyed. He could now hold and grab things with his left hand, although it was not the same as before. With daily practice, he is slowly regaining strength and dexterity in his hand. Marcin has been a carpenter for almost 30 years and is grateful to be able to continue pursuing his passion.
The surgery was a complex one, with Mr. Murphy leading the team that carried it out. He stated that it is uncommon for adults to have a toe transplanted to their hand, and this was the first such transplant at St Thomas' in recent decades. The surgery was a success and Marcin is now making an excellent recovery. He is currently undergoing therapy to rebuild the strength and dexterity in his left hand. Mr. Murphy hopes that Marcin will be able to start working again soon.
Despite this life-changing experience, Marcin has some words of wisdom to share. He emphasizes the importance of taking care of one's health and being careful in life. He also encourages others to love and appreciate their lives. Marcin is looking forward to getting back to work and continuing to create beautiful hand-made wooden gifts for his wife and others.
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