Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

AsiaWire

These incredible images show a skilled surgeon stitching a nurse’s injured ear using a strand of her own hair.

The nurse, who has not been named, had a piece of flesh accidentally cut from her ear while getting a haircut at a hospital in coronavirus epicentre Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province in Central China.

General surgeon Wang Qi, who is assisting from Xi’an Gaoxin Hospital in north-western China’s Shaanxi Province, was called into action on 22nd February to deal with the injury.

He recalled: “One of my colleagues wrote in a group chat asking for a surgeon.

“I prepared a pair of gloves and gauze, and then went downstairs to find the colleague whose ear had been accidentally cut by the hairdresser.

“I was preparing to debride and suture the wound, but I didn’t have all the necessary materials on hand.

“I had a suturing kit and anaesthesia, but the needle was far too big and the thread too thick.

“The result would’ve been ineffective. It would’ve left a big scar.

“I had to improvise and be creative, so I used a syringe needle and a strand of her own hair.

“It was very successful and took just over 10 minutes. I gave her about five or so stitches.”

Images show Doctor Wang expertly suturing the nurse’s right ear with her own hair, neatly closing her wound and putting her back to work.

The medic revealed he had tried a similar suturing method in the past while working in a plastics and burn ward.

It was reportedly fortunate that the nurse had some hair to use. Female doctors and nurses have been shaving or cutting their hair short in order to save time and remain as hygienic as possible while treating patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.