Local Hand Surgeon Performs Thumb Replantation

On January 6, Richard Cartwright of Covington nearly lost his thumb in an accident, but Orthopedic Associates of SW Ohio (OASWO) hand surgeon Dr. Timothy Harman was able to restore circulation and function to the severed digit thanks to the quick response of Wilson Memorial Hospital and Dr. Harman’s surgical expertise in microsurgery of the hand.

When the injury occurred, Cartwright was transported to Wilson Memorial Hospital where the emergency department was able to assess the injury and prepare him for transfer to the Hand Center of Southwestern Ohio at Southview Medical Center in Dayton to determine if the thumb could be surgically reattached.

“The window of opportunity for replantation is about 6 hours,” said Dr. Harman. “Wilson Memorial did an excellent job of contacting me right away and appropriately prepping the patient to ensure that we had the best possible chance of saving Richard’s thumb.”

After undergoing a delicate 3.5 hour surgery, Dr. Harman and his team were able to successfully save Cartwright’s thumb.

“Dr. Harman did an outstanding job,” said Cartwright. “It’s been almost 2 months since my surgery and I have quite a bit of movement. And my hand looks almost completely normal, almost like nothing happened.”

The surgery performed by Dr. Harman is a specialized procedure that can only be done by a fellowship trained hand and microsurgeon. On average, Dr. Harman sees approximately four to five cases in a year in which one or more digits have been completely cut off or almost completely severed and the patient is a good candidate for replantation surgery.

Cartwright is now undergoing hand therapy at OASWO’s Sidney office at Wilson Memorial. OASWO has one of the largest Hand Centers in Ohio with the most Certified Hand Therapists on staff.

“Richard is in the rehab phase with no future surgeries required,” said Dr. Harman. “He has good function and mobility of the thumb and we are very pleased with his recovery.”

Dr. Harman is a fellowship trained hand orthopedic surgeon with OASWO. He specializes in arthroscopic, post-traumatic and reconstructive surgery of the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. Dr. Harman earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from University of Health Sciences in Kansas City, Missouri. After his residency he completed a fellowship in hand and microsurgery from Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

For information about Wilson Health Orthopedics, visit our website at Wilson Health Orthopedics.

For more information on Dr. Harman and Orthopedic Associates of SW Ohio, contact their Sidney office at (937) 494-5266 or visit www.oaswo.com