A Nottinghamshire cobbler who severed his thumb in a workshop accident has undergone a pioneering procedure to replace it with his own big toe. David Lee, 40, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, was trimming a shoe at his shop on 9 January when the knife slipped, cutting through his right thumb.
He was initially treated at a local hospital before being referred to the Pulvertaft Hand Centre at the Royal Derby Hospital. Surgeons there decided to amputate one of his big toes and transplant it onto his hand.
The complex series of operations took a total of 10 hours. Mr Lee is now recovering and hopes to return to work, having saved his career as a cobbler. The procedure, while rare, has allowed him to regain function in his hand.
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