A remarkable surgical procedure has taken place in Jinan, China, where doctors successfully grafted a patient’s severed ear onto her foot. The patient, known by the surname Sun, suffered severe injuries due to a workplace accident involving heavy machinery that resulted in the loss of part of her scalp and her ear. According to Qiu Shenqiang, the deputy director of the microsurgery unit at Shandong Provincial Hospital, the damage was extensive, making immediate reattachment of the ear impossible.
The incident left Sun with a scalp that was “split into multiple fragments,” as Qiu described. The ear had been completely severed from her head, creating a complicated medical scenario. Initial attempts to repair the damage were hindered by the need for the skull to heal adequately, which would require several months. To preserve the ear until it could be reattached, the surgical team opted for an innovative approach: they grafted the ear onto Sun’s foot.
Innovative Surgical Technique
The choice of the foot for the graft was strategic. Qiu explained that the arteries and veins in the foot are compatible with those in the ear, and the skin is similarly thin, allowing for better integration. While heterotopic grafting—attaching a body part to a different location on the body—is common in organ transplants, applying this method to an ear and foot had not been previously documented in medical history.
The initial procedure, conducted in October 2023, lasted ten hours. During this time, the surgical team meticulously connected the delicate veins of the ear to those in the foot. However, complications arose five days post-surgery when the ear began to turn purplish black, indicating a lack of blood flow. The connecting veins struggled to return blood to the heart, resulting in pooling.
To address this issue, the team engaged in a labor-intensive process of manual bloodletting, performing nearly 500 individual interventions to stabilize the ear. This extensive effort ultimately paid off, allowing the surgical team to restore blood flow and save the graft.
Successful Outcome and Patient Recovery
Once the ear was stabilized, the team focused on healing Sun’s scalp. After five months of recovery, the scalp and neck had improved sufficiently for reattachment of the ear. The procedure concluded successfully, and Sun has since been discharged from the hospital. Reports indicate that she is recovering well, with her facial and tissue functions largely restored.
This case highlights not only the challenges faced in modern microsurgery but also the innovative solutions that medical professionals can devise in dire circumstances. The successful grafting of an ear onto a foot serves as a remarkable example of surgical ingenuity in the face of adversity.
