The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-26
SURGICAL FEAT
IS ACCOMP PLISHED
Make New Forearm for Pa
tient-Fr0m His Own
Abdomen

Charles p. Walters returned recently to
his home. No. 66 Glenside avenue Sum-
init. N. j., the beneficiary of an opera
tion in surgery which is said to be with
out exact parallel
He had lost in an accident the skin,
tissue and muscles of his right forearm.
New skin and tissue were furnished for
the torn arm from his own abdomen, and
the arm now has firm and healthy en-
veiope, under which new muscle may
grow. The abdomen has also healed and
is in fine condition, with every prospect
OF becoming as good as ever, says the
New York World.
DR.. William H. Lawrence, Jr., surgeon
in charge at Overlook hospital Summit,
performed the operation. In order to do
1T he made an aperture in the abdominal
wall and inclosed the forearm within it,
binding 1t firmly so that tissue as well
as skin might become attached to the
wounded arm. BY the time, adhesion was
assured the edges of the abdominal wound
had partially knitted together again.
Removal of the arm carried with 1t
covering Of skin within tissue to the depth
of half an inch all arou9d, the contri-
button of the abdomen to the pereft fore
arm. Then by the plastic treatment usual
In skin and tissue displacement DR.. Law
renee proceeded to heal both arm and.
abdomen.
When Walters entered the hospital a
month or so ago his case looked des-
perate. He was a pressman, employed
by Hildredth, Wegman 4 Monaghan,
printers. at No. New Chambers street.
Manhattan. One day his arm was caught
in the cogs of a press and before he
could release 1t the machine had torn
away all the flesh from elbow to wrist.
Tt then seemed as though the arm could
- tl,.t. cuff mn
putation Walters said he would submit to
my experiment, however novel or dam
gerous. DR.. Lawrence gave him full warn
ing of therisks involved, and was in
strrcted to proceed.
The process of making a pocket OF ski"
in human body for the purpose of graft
ing from one part to another is not new
in surgery. In the case of Walter the
necessity Of transplanting tissue as well
as skin presented itself Therein lay the
danger especially as the abdomen seemed
to be the only available source of SUI
fIcient new supply. DIR. Lawrence beiev-
ed the operation practicable, IL the patient
was strong enough to survive IL, and the
result furnished complete proof of Wal
ter's constitution and vitality.
From the time that the forearm was
lashed within the abdominal pocket ii re-
NAMED, perforce, immovabe. Walters
had to lie with his arm thus incased
more than q fortnight Even involuntary
twitehing by him for that period, would
have imperiled the success of the opera
ton. He had to steel his will to resist
the instructive impulse to relieve the
arm by shifting its position.
The doctors reports Of good progress
from day to day stimulated Walters to do
his part in keeping perfectly still In dis
missing him yesterday from the hospital
DIR. Lawrence not only praised his grit
but assured him that with ordinary care
of himself he will be able to return to
light work in about a fortnight
''Skin grating has been done under
most remarkable conditions" DR.. Law
renee said last night. in commenting mod
estly on his achievement. 1.-THE case of
Walters had unusual features In The ex-
tent of the abdominal wound and in the
removal of tissue as well as skin. Wall
ters' forearm from elbow to wrist is now
tpcircled with tissue from one half to
three quarters of an inch thick. He wa
well enough to go home today. and see
no reason why he should not fully re-
cover"