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UAE doctors race against time to reattach worker's arm torn off by machine
He was rushed to the hospital within a crucial time frame — the severed arm had been preserved properly during transport, which helped save his limb
- PUBLISHED: Thu 15 Jan 2026, 11:56 AM UPDATED: Fri 16 Jan 2026, 12:21 PM
- By:
- SM Ayaz Zakir
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A 50-year-old factory worker lost his left arm in an industrial accident when it was caught in a running lathe machine, prompting a rapid emergency response and an urgent transfer to a specialist hospital in Abu Dhabi.
Tanveerullah Arif, a resident of Al Dhannah City, had been working with a lathe machine for nearly 20 years, but on that fateful day, in seconds, his arm was completely amputated at the forearm level.
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The accident happened around 4.30pm, coworkers and emergency responders acted quickly. The Pakistani worker was rushed to Burjeel Al Dhannah Hospital. Doctors at the hospital realised he needed advanced treatment and arranged an urgent transfer to Burjeel Medical City (BMC) in Abu Dhabi.
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The medical team at BMC received the call around 5.30pm and began preparing before the patient arrived. Emergency and civil defence teams transported Tanveerullah by road, reaching the hospital at about 8.15pm. He was conscious but had lost significant blood and was moved immediately to the operating theatre.
He was first stabilised and given a nerve block to prepare for surgery. What followed was a marathon operation that lasted nearly 10 hours. The goal was to reattach a completely amputated arm and restore blood flow before it was too late.
“This was not a clean cut. It was a crush-avulsion injury, where the arm was torn off by the machine. That made the surgery much more complex,” said Dr Praveen Kumar Arumugam, specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery at BMC.
In the operating room, surgeons carefully examined both the amputated limb and the remaining forearm. They identified muscles, tendons, nerves, arteries, veins and bones. Damaged and contaminated tissue was removed, which helped reduce the risk of infection and improved healing.
The team then fixed the two forearm bones with plates and screws to provide the arm with structure and stability. After that came the most critical step: restoring blood flow. Surgeons repaired two arteries and four veins using microsurgical techniques, working under a microscope to connect very small blood vessels. Blood thinners were used during the procedure to prevent clotting.
Once blood flow was secured, doctors repaired the muscles, tendons, and nerves, then closed the skin. Tanveerullah received a total of 6 units of blood during surgery. Anaesthesia specialists closely monitored him to prevent complications such as reperfusion injury, which can affect the heart or kidneys when blood flow returns to a previously deprived limb.
Three days later, during a second stage of treatment, doctors placed a skin graft over affected areas. His arm was then put in a cast and kept elevated to support healing. The medical team said their aim was to restore his ability to grasp and use his hand.
The surgery involved specialists from multiple departments, including plastic surgery, orthopaedics and anaesthesia, all working in coordination. Doctors said Tanveerullah’s relatively young age and lack of other medical conditions helped improve the chances of success.
In cases of complete amputation, surgeons usually have a golden window of about six hours to attempt reattachment. Tanveerullah reached the hospital within that crucial time frame, and the severed arm had been preserved properly during transport, which helped save his limb.
Now in recovery, Tanveerullah has started physiotherapy and is slowly regaining movement in his hand. “The machine was running, and I just touched it. Immediately, they took me to the hospital. I was conscious,” he said.
Doctors said that his recovery will take time, but the early signs are encouraging. “The surgery went well, and I am feeling much better now. I can move my hand a little again,” said Tanveerullah.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.