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And that’s basically it!
Saving you a click:
The patient suffered a horrific workplace accident involving heavy machinery, which tore off a large part of her scalp and her ear with it. The damage to her scalp and vascular network was so severe that restoring the ear at the time was impossible, so the procedure was performed to save the patient’s aural orifice so it could be reattached to her head later.
The patient can’t wear a shoe on that foot, but I guess that's the least of their worries at that point.
Maybe they'll be able to graft the ear back on her head before she'd be healed enough to walk out of the hospital anyway.
That's the whole reason they attached it to her foot.
The damage to her scalp and vascular network was so severe that restoring the ear at the time was impossible, so the procedure was performed to save the patient’s aural orifice so it could be reattached to her head later.
That's the whole reason they attached it somewhere, but your quote doesn't address my speculation about why they picked her foot in particular. I was making a guess about the relative timing of her being healed enough to release vs. being healed enough to have the graft moved back to where it belongs.
My guess is blood flow. Legs tend to be the limb that receive the most blood flow.
For those curious as to why the foot:
They chose the foot because the arteries and veins there are compatible with those found in the ear. The foot’s skin and soft tissue are also similarly thin to the head’s.
Well, that's all my questions answered. Good work comments team.
They do this with penis injuries too. I'm surprised people are surprised?
Or maybe I know too much about dick science.
“Dick Science” sounds like he should be Dr. Strange’s arch-nemesis.
It's the latter
exactly my thought. You have no choice, an ear is going to be grafted to somewhere on your body. Why NOT choose the center of your forehead? especially if it's temporary.
unless the damage was so severe the foot was the best spot :(
My guess is they chose the foot because the vasculature is very superficial over a relatively flat area with lots of decent sized vascular branches. So, they can tap into the blood supply relatively easily. Also the patient would probably be less inclined (or fully incapable) of fucking with it - you'd be amazed how many patients turn a nearly invisible incision line into a jagged, infected mess, cuz they just can't resist picking at it. And I get it - I'll pick myself bloody if I notice so much as a bump starting to grow on my hand... a full blown ear would demand way more attention, so keeping it out of sight / out of mind was likely a strategic move.
You are right regarding the first reason for the placement:
Per SCMP, Qiu said they chose the foot because the arteries and veins there are compatible with those found in the ear. The foot’s skin and soft tissue are also similarly thin to the head’s.
Also, the scalp was damaged and healing. Forehead might not have been a great place even if it was otherwise a great place.
This case is another example why proper patient care is so important:
But complications arose five days later, when the ear turned purplish black as its connecting veins struggled to send blood back to the heart, causing the blood to pool. Over the next five days, the team rescued the ear with manual bloodletting, a labor intensive process that required almost five hundred individual interventions.
Every hospital cutting nursing jobs to a skeleton crew has blood (and ears) on their hands.
And it's the same with rehabilitation measures: especially with neurological damage after a stroke or brain hemorrhage starting with therapy ASAP preserves and restores function and abilities that are lost if it takes months to get therapy.
thats kind of amazing that you can just graft one body part onto another while waiting for the correct spot to heal enough to actually have a successful reattachment surgery.
The ear is about the only thing this really works with. There’s not much special going on with it, it’s just shaped flesh and cartilage. You don’t even need nerves in the ear to use it, since literally everything happens inside your head.
You couldn’t do this with pretty much anything else really.
They do that with feet and hands routinely.
Who does?
For…. Science?
Edit:
The damage to her scalp and vascular network was so severe that restoring the ear at the time was impossible, so the procedure was performed to save the patient’s aural orifice so it could be reattached to her head later.
Okay, but its going to be really hard to find socks in the meantime. Also, dont the hairs that allow you to hear not grow back? I assume the ear will never be useable again. Although I guess the aesthetic appeal is still there
The hearing happens way further into the head. The outer ear just helps with sound localization.
I've heard this idea has been kicked around for a few years now...
Ugh, take your upvote and get out.
It's about damn time!
Finally, the dogs can hear themselves bark.
Foul Tarnished...
Isn’t that Margit’s opening line?
It is, oops, Godrick prefers lowly Tarnished.
Sometimes it can be a perk keeping an ear to the ground.
Congrats. A human spider.
fucking surreal, kudos to the medical team who did this
A great milestone for humanity.
"accident"
I bet somebody has this on their 2026 bingo card
That ear on the foot pic was awesome. Wish there was a shot of the ear back on her head!
I imagine, given that they didn’t use her full name, that she wasn’t willing, which is understandable.
"My eyes are up here."
Pranks that went too far
Impressive and again a yay for science
What tf happened to the lady for such a horrific accident to even happen?
I understand the point of this Zoidbergish procedure, but I still have one question - did they bother connecting the nerves and if so, is there tactile sensation on the ear?
Gross
Because...?