Big Toe is Now a Thumb

Shannon Elliott of Long Island, New York lost the thumb and two fingers of her left hand in a fireworks incident. The 25-year-old recently underwent surgery to replace her thumb -with one of her big toes!
"To me it was a no brainer. I'd rather lose a toe and gain a whole hand," said the mother of two.

Losing a toe has little effect on a human's ability to walk or run, but losing a thumb nearly incapacitates hand functionality.

Doctors said Elliott will regain full use of her hand in six to nine months.

"She'll be able to pinch and grasp with her hand, she'll be able to hold things and pick up her children," said plastic surgeon Dr. Jason Ganz.

Doctors even expect the new digit to change size in time to more closely resemble a thumb. Warning: graphic picture. Link -via Digg

One of my Mom's friends who was a WWII vet had the same thing done after he lost his thumb in the war. I was always facinated watching him strike matches with is thumb/toe.
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Is it just me or do those stitches look a little haphazard? Hasn't that doctor ever taken a home-ec sewing class? Properly space your stitches and make them the same size, cool scar though.
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I had an option to do this with my lack of thumbs on my hands. Instead the doctor rotated my finger on my right hand to make a fake thumb. :)
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I'm not sure why this is such big news as I have seen this a few times before. Dating back to the early eighties I ran into a gentleman who had this procedure done to his right hand after he had lost his thumb.
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I've seen that done, but with the toe that is right next to the big toe, because taking that toe interferes with walking less than taking the big toe.
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