New Delhi: Doctors at Safdarjung hospital have successfully performed a rare surgery on a 10-year-old boy from Nepal, during which they removed two fingers from his foot and attached them to his hand.

The boy had suffered burn injuries to his hands in 2015, which led to the spread of gangrene near the wrist, Rakesh Kain, Professor of plastic surgery at the hospital, said.

His one hand had to be amputated from the wrist and fingers of the other hand from the palm. Rest of his hands were skin grafted with small thumb salvage. The boy was unable to perform his routine chores or even hold a pen, shattering his confidence and willingness to study, doctors said.

Doctors at the Safdarjung hospital performed the “toe- to-hand transfer”, a surgery during which two fingers were taken from his foot and attached to the hand.

Blood circulation to the previously affected parts were also restored following the 10-hour surgery, they said.

“This procedure was challenging and required specialised anaesthesia to keep microvascular blood flow for the survival of the toes which were then fixed to the palm. The failure could have resulted into a lot of trauma for the patient. The child will now be able to use his fingers and do his routine work,” Kain said.