In a groundbreaking achievement in the field of reconstructive microsurgery in Lebanon and the Levant, the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) successfully conducted the first proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint reconstruction surgery on a damaged ring finger. The surgery was performed by AUBMC’s team of highly skilled surgeons, led by Dr. Joseph Bakhach, president of the Lebanese Health Orders President Association (HOPA) and a renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon specialized in hand and microsurgery at the Department of Surgery.
The patient had suffered from trauma to the right middle and ring fingers due to a motor vehicle accident. The main joint of the patient’s ring finger was completely destroyed, leading to an impaired function of the total hand.
During the procedure, the principal joint of the patient’s right ring finger was reconstructed using the same joint from the toe with microsurgical connection of the vascular pedicles. Harvested with the tendons and the nourishing vessels, this small joint was transferred and fixed, re-establishing its normal blood supply. The surgery was particularly challenging due to the extremely small diameter of the vessels involved and, the small size of the joint and structures transferred requiring high precision and skill. “Unlike traditional procedures, this intricate hand surgery effectively restores function, mobility and shape, making it an optimal treatment option for severely impaired fingers,” said Bakhach.
Dr. Jamal Hoballah, the chairperson of the Department of Surgery, commended the effort, saying, “Our Department of Surgery, which includes over 40 experienced and dedicated surgeons, continues to provide a wide spectrum of simple and complex cutting-edge surgical procedures with outcomes that match those achieved in the best international centers.”
This successful hand surgery attests to the outstanding capabilities and expertise of AUBMC’s hand trauma surgeons who are continuously committed to integrating the latest techniques in their surgical practice. This trailblazing achievement will pave the way to the establishment of the Hand Surgery Center of Excellence at AUBMC, the first center of its kind in Lebanon and the region to better serve the community and the patients.