Jammu, May 21:
Bringing immense hope to families across North India, the Department of Burns & Plastic Surgery at AIIMS Jammu has successfully performed a complex hand reconstruction surgery on a four-year-old child suffering from severe post-burn contracture deformity—a condition that had completely fused the child’s thumb and fingers together.
The successful operation highlights the premier institute’s rapidly expanding capability to handle high-risk, long-standing deformities that were previously considered too difficult or risky for surgical correction elsewhere.
Overcoming a Severe Childhood Trauma
The pediatric patient was brought to AIIMS Jammu with a severely compromised hand resulting from past burn injuries. Over time, the scarred tissue had tightened significantly, causing a severe contracture—a permanent tightening of muscles, tendons, and skin—that effectively fused the digits together and stripped the hand of all functional mobility.
Faced with a complex structural challenge, a multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Rahul Gorka (Assistant Professor & Officiating Head, Department of Burns & Plastic Surgery) devised an intricate, multi-stage surgical strategy under a single operative plan.
A Growing Regional Hub for Plastic & Burns Care
This milestone is part of a broader surge in advanced reconstructive procedures being executed routinely at the institution. AIIMS Jammu is fast becoming a vital lifeline not just for Jammu & Kashmir, but for neighboring states like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
With dedicated multidisciplinary support from the departments of Orthopaedics and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PMR), the specialized unit routinely manages:
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Complex acute hand injuries and tendon repairs.
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Congenital (birth) hand deformities.
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Microsurgical procedures and complex flap reconstructions.
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Advanced artificial skin substitute applications and precision skin grafting.
The Importance of Early Intervention
Hospital leadership noted that timing is absolutely critical when dealing with pediatric trauma and burns, urging families not to delay consultations.
“Early treatment of burns, hand injuries, and congenital deformities is profoundly important to prevent permanent disability and improve long-term functional outcomes. AIIMS Jammu remains deeply committed to providing affordable, state-of-the-art reconstructive plastic surgery care aimed at restoring function, confidence, and quality of life to our patients.”
— Prof. Dr. D.N. Sharma, ED & CEO, AIIMS Jammu
