From the Yorkshire Evening Post, August 1998

A unique operation has given a young woman her hand back more than eight months after she lost it in a horrific factory accident.

In the first operation of its kind ever performed, surgeons at St James's Hospital, Leeds, have stitched back three fingers - after keeping them alive after the accident by attaching them to the woman's arm.

And by adding one of her toes to make a thumb, the doctors have re-created the hand that was terribly mutilated. Within weeks, their patient will be able to resume the normal life that she thought had gone forever.

The 19 year old woman - who wants to be known only as Louise - lost the fingers when much of her right hand was destroyed in a machine heated to 160C.

But, in a piece of revolutionary medicine, the three fingers were preserved by being plugged into an artery on her left forearm and have "lived" there since the tragedy last December.

The new hand will transform Louise's life. She will be able to perform simple everyday tasks, such as peeling vegetables and tying shoelaces, which have proved impossible until now because of her devastating injury.

Last night consultant plastic and hand surgeon Simon Kay, who carried out the intricate procedure over 12 hours, said the operation had gone well.

"We are happy with Louise's condition," said Mr. Kay "She is very sleepy but by this stage things are looking good and we don't anticipate any problems.

"We hope we have given her a good assistive hand which should make a huge difference to her life." The preservation of amputated parts of a body using a patient's own body has been attempted previously but only three or four cases are known worldwide. One included saving a hand in the patient's own armpit.

Mr. Kay, 46, is renowned for his work in hand surgery, particularly toe to hand transfers in children. He took the decision to save Louise's fingers using her left forearm as he treated her injury following the accident, in which her hand became trapped in the jaws of a machine used to seal food wrapping.

"The middle section of Louise's hand was destroyed, there was no skin, bones, nothing and it wasn't rescuable." said Mr. Kay.

'But we saved the three fingers and they were joined to an artery in the left forearm from which they were taking blood.

"It is very complicated surgery; it's a technical challenge to put all the pieces of the jigsaw together in the right places.

"But this hand will last a lifetime and I hope a lifetime will be a long time for Louise." Before Wednesday's operation to create the new hand. Louise had already undergone several procedures to improve her damaged right hand. Skin from her right hip was used to cover the hand and a graft was taken from her right thigh to improve the appearance of her hip.

The past eight months have involved preparing her right limb and the three fingers for the creation of the hand. She had physiotherapy every day at St James's to keep the joints in the fingers supple, as well as the remaining joints in the damaged limb.

Louise's fiancé Mick. 34, was trained by her physiotherapist to continue the techniques at home. The couple have been together for two years.

Louise, who kept the fingers on her forearm hidden and protected under a bandage said: "I was shocked when I came round fully from the surgery last year and a bit bewildered. I was conscious of what I looked like and what other people would think and I realised it would charge the rest of my life.

"But I have got used to the idea and not having fingers on my hand. I've tried to use it as normal. I've had a lot of support from Mick and close friends.

"I've had my moments when I've been upset and it was a big step to take the dressing off my damaged hand and go into the pub. The people who have seen the fingers have been amazed but shocked as well." Louise recognizes that her new hand will not be perfect but will give her grip, strength and feeling.