News Releases
Surgeons Reattach
4 Year Old's Arm Severed in Tiger Attack
Chronology
Houston, Texas, March 21, 2000
-- Jayton Tidwell, born 8/30/95, arrived at
Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital on March 15 at approximately
6:30 p.m.
His right arm had
been severed slightly above the elbow by a pet tiger. He arrived at
the hospital in relatively stable condition, conscious, alert, and able
to follow simple commands and interact with staff. As he was being evaluated
and prepared for surgery, he was able to read a story book with a member
of the child life staff.
After being evaluated
and stabilized, he was transferred to the operating room and began undergoing
surgery shortly before 9 p.m. The surgical team was under the direction
of Dr. Mark Henry, orthopedic trauma specialist. The surgery took approximately
nine hours and according to the surgical team, went extremely well with
no complications.
The surgical team
was able to reconnect the blood vessels and reattach the arm within
a crucial six-hour window of time. This window of time is associated
with lack of blood flow to the affected area.
Jayton now is resting
comfortably in the pediatric intensive care unit at Memorial Hermann
Children’s Hospital. Dr. Henry believes he will be here at least
one week. Although the surgery went well, physicians hesitate to speculate
on his long-term prognosis. He is expected to undergo further reconstructive
surgery(ies) over the course of months and perhaps years, including
tendon transfers and nerve reconstruction.
His recovery will
be a matter of incremental milestones to be achieved over the next days,
weeks and months to come and will undergo many months of intensive rehabilitation.
It also could be months before it is known whether or not Jayton will
have full use of the reimplanted arm.
Nevertheless, Dr.
Henry believes Jayton's best chance for a strong prognosis is his young
age and a child's greater ability to regenerate his nerves and the ability
of his brain to understand those changes. His biggest risk now is for
infection because the limb was in the tiger's mouth, a bacteria-laden
environment. Infectious disease specialists have been consulted to help
prevent and/or reduce this risk.
For more information, contact Media Relations.
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