11.12.2025 13:50
A woman who lost her ear in a workplace accident in China's Shandong province was treated using a method rarely employed in the medical field. Doctors postponed the transplant due to damaged blood vessels and nourished the ear on the patient's leg for five months. After the tissue strengthened, they reattached it to its original place.
A woman living in Shandong province, China, lost her left ear, part of her scalp, and a section of skin on her face in a horrific workplace accident.
Although her life was not in danger, the accident caused serious injuries, prompting doctors to resort to an unusual method to reattach the ear: the woman's severed ear was nourished on the top of her foot for a full five months.
SEVERED EAR COULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY REATTACHED
Doctors determined that due to damaged blood vessels, the ear could not be directly reattached. The ear needed to heal properly and be revitalized. The most suitable place for this was chosen to be the inner part of the foot (instep), where the skin is thin and the vascular structure resembles that of the ear.
Connecting blood vessels that were less than a millimeter in diameter, only 0.2–0.3 mm wide, was nearly impossible for the surgeons. The surgical team spent about 10 hours stitching each vessel individually with needles thinner than human hair.
WAITING IN ITS NEW PLACE ON HER FOOT FOR FIVE MONTHS
The first days after the surgery were critical; as blood flow was not fully established, doctors intervened and managed to stabilize the transplanted ear. The ear turning pink again was a positive sign of tissue acceptance.
The woman carried her ear on her foot for five months; she wore only loose shoes when going out and walked carefully to avoid damaging the tissue. During this process, the wounds on her head also healed, preparing her for the second surgery.
CHALLENGING SECOND SURGERY: EAR RETURNED TO ITS PLACE
In October, surgeons performed an operation to reattach the ear to its original position. Finding the blood vessels and nerves deformed by the accident in the scalp was an extremely challenging process. Doctors worked layer by layer under a microscope to identify usable blood vessels and nerve endings and reconnected them to the ear. After five months of patient waiting, the woman's left ear finally returned to its rightful place.