Scalp replantation after traumatic injury

Abstract

A 30-year-old female patient lost her scalp in an industrial accident. Surgeons used a microscope to reconnect the arteries and veins in her scalp and to reattach the scalp to the patient's cranium. The patient tolerated the procedure without complications, although she developed venous congestion in her right ear while she was in the neuroscience intensive care unit. After several days of leech therapy, the patient experienced an uneventful postoperative course. One month after discharge from the hospital, the patient's hair was growing back in and her incision lines were fading.