WATCH: ‘My big toe is my new thumb’

WARNING: Content may upset sensitive viewers.

Injured worker delighted after successful surgery

A HORRIFIC accident that could have cost a windfarm worker his livelihood was turned into a medical triumph this week when plastic surgeon Dr Konrad Hoekstra performed a toe-to-thumb transplant, leaving the patient with a fully functional hand.

Bonakele Duze, 39, of New Brighton, said while he had first laughed nervously at the idea, he felt gratitude.

“Dr Hoekstra is my saviour. I am very thankful,” he said.

“He gave me my life back. I am so happy to still have 10 fingers.”

Duze, an installation assistant at Eveready Diversified Products, said the accident had happened on March 17. He has been putting wind turbines together a for six years.

“We were fixing a wind turbine at a site 15km from Aliwal North. The problem we had with that specific turbine was with the tower,” he said.

“The base is fastened to the tower with nuts and bolts.

“As we were lifting up the tower with the hydraulic lift, I saw a nut and washer lying on top of the base.

“I put my hand out to quickly remove them. The next thing, the tower came crashing down on my hand.

“I yanked my hand away but the tower [which weighs 450kg] caught my glove and crushed my thumb.

“It was bleeding a lot. My work colleague still retrieved the glove with the crushed thumb inside it. I was in so much shock.

“Luckily, we had a first aid kit, so my colleague cleaned and bandaged my hand as well as he could. He then took

me to the hospital.”

His hand was cleaned at the hospital and he decided to travel to Port Elizabeth to undergo surgery.

“The drive in the work bakkie down from Aliwal North was very uncomfortable. My hand was very sore, but I am a man, I was trying to be strong.”

After he was admitted to Netcare Greenacres Hospital’s emergency unit, Duze was referred to Hoekstra, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon.

“The first time I saw Dr Hoekstra I thought he would say that the thumb must come off. I was already thinking about life with only four fingers on that hand.

“When I woke up after surgery, Dr Hoekstra said the nerve and the vein were still working so he didn’t cut off what was left of the thumb . . .

“Then he said, if it was OK with me he would love to replace my thumb with my toe. He said this way my ‘ thumb’ would work again and I would be able to use my hand.

“First I laughed. Then I said I had to think about it . . . Eventually I decided I would do it. I wanted my thumb to work again as I work with my hands.”

On April 4, the surgery was successfully completed and yesterday Duze was discharged from hospital. He can already move his new “thumb”.

“I was very, very happy. I was so excited to see my new finger,” he said.

Duze is still walking with a crutch as the removal of his big toe has thrown him a little off balance, but Hoekstra said it would take about three weeks for his body to get used to it.