Drew’s surgery today lasted about 7 hours. They transferred one nerve from his left calf/ankle to his thumb so he can eventually regain sensation in that area of his hand. It will probably take about a year before he can feel out to his fingertip as nerves grow very slowly along the graft. They also repaired most of the burn on his scalp so it’s now about the size of a nickel and will be much less obvious if he grows his hair back out (we shaved his head for this surgery and because he just wanted to).
The muscles they wanted to use to give him the ability to flex his thumb were all too damaged to use. There were lots of smart folks in the OR making suggestions and I appreciate the team brainstorming across disciplines to exhaust every possibility. They got a better idea of the structures they have to work with and the extent of the scar tissue that limits some options. We will need to consider using a small groin muscle to help his thumb move at a later date (not this Summer). Overall, some progress and some disappointments.
Drew is resting in his hospital room and has pain meds at the ready. Hopefully with a restful night we can head home midday tomorrow.
