TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A team from Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital has performed 22 surgeries since 2023 to improve the condition of a 53-year-old man surnamed Su (蘇), whose legs were severely injured in a rear-end collision.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Su described the accident, saying his light truck was struck and overturned, leaving him trapped inside for about 30 minutes due to damage to the front of the vehicle, per CNA.
Lin Yu-hsien (林育賢), director of the hospital’s Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, said that when Su was rescued, his legs below the knees had suffered open fractures and his right ankle was nearly severed. The injuries also included brain bleeding and damage to blood vessels and nerves, making amputation highly likely.
Lin highlighted the team’s efforts to preserve Su’s legs after assessing that reconstruction of his nerves and blood vessels could restore function. Orthopedic surgeons first stabilized the fractures, after which the hospital’s plastic surgery team conducted a six-hour microsurgery to rebuild the damaged blood vessels and nerves.
During a subsequent procedure, the team used a therapy that combines suction and fluid to promote healing, along with a perforated dressing to improve wound care. This allowed them to amputate only his right big toe.
However, Lin noted that Su’s right leg was so badly damaged that the bone fractured again even after external fixation. After removing the dead bone, a 12-centimeter gap was left. To repair it, the team used skin and muscle from his thigh to rebuild the soft tissue, and then used a piece of bone from his pelvis to reconstruct his lower leg bone.
Su was discharged after undergoing his final skin and tissue reconstruction surgery on the 115th day of hospitalization. With the help of a walker, he has regained the ability to move.
Hospital Deputy Superintendent Hung Tzu-jen (洪子仁) said the case was extremely challenging and could be resolved only through teamwork and the use of new medical devices. He urged the government to include supportive treatments in National Health Insurance coverage as the cost of advanced equipment and procedures continues to rise.
