Losing a hand is arguably one of the more debilitating injuries a human being could endure. When that happens, there are only so many options. Immediate reattachment is ideal, though not always possible. If affordability isn’t an issue, a prosthetic, maybe something cool and robotic, would be in order. Or, if you’re doctors in China operating on Xiao Wei, you take the next logical step and attach the hand to the ankle in order to keep it alive.

Wei lost his right hand in an accident at work but could not have it reattached to his arm right away, as other injuries took precedent over the detached hand. Instead, the hand was kept alive by stitching it to Mr Wei’s left ankle and “borrowing” a blood supply from arteries in the leg. The hand itself may have survived longer on ice, but keeping blood flowing to the appendage gives it the best chance for normal use upon reattachment.

Mr Cairian Healy of the Royal College of Surgeons in England told BBC News that although procedures such as these were rare, they were not inconceivable.

“The Chinese are pretty experienced in microsurgery,” he said, “and the concept of saving a severed part of the body by attaching it to another part of the body to give it a blood supply is well recognized.”

While doctors in Chande said they were unable to save the limb, medics at a larger hospital in neighbouring Changsha felt differently. Mr Xiao’s doctor told REX Features that his injury was “severe,” something that typically need not be stated when facing a missing appendage.

“Besides ripping injuries, his arm was also flattened”, the doctor said, adding, “We had to clear and treat his injuries before taking on the hand reattachment surgery.”

Xiao was first rushed to the hospital with his injuries in November. A month later, surgeons were able to remove the hand and replant it back on his arm.

According to the Rex Features report, Mr Wei’s doctors from the Changsha region say he will need to undergo several other operations but they are hopeful that he will regain full function of his hand.

The ankle is a difficult place to graft, due to its shape and lack of flesh. Typically, surgeons use for the armpit due to better access to blood supplies.

Sadly, not all replantations are a success. Some patients are unsatisfied with the end result, and may later opt for amputation because of side-effects, such as pain and stiffness.

Mr Xiao said of his accident “I was just shocked and frozen at the spot, until co-workers unplugged the machine and retrieved my hand and took me to the hospital. I am still young, and I couldn’t imagine life without a right hand.”

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give the guy a hand.