HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO RESTORE BLOOD FLOW TO A DAMAGED/SEVERED FINGER QUICKLY?

[hackett]

I was involved in a "degloving" accident, which left my left index barely hanging on. Again, it wasn't COMPLETELY severed, but there was very little flesh holding it together. When I got to the ER, they cleaned it up, and just put in 3 or 4 stitches to hold it together. They sent me home, and brought me in the following morning for surgery to reattach blood vessels and such. Three days later, my finger was amputated as there was no blood flow or feeling. When I told other what happened, they seemed shocked that the surgery hadn't been done almost immediately in the ER, and said I may have a malpractice case against the hospital. They say that, had the surgery been done sooner, and blood flow restored sooner, I MAY have been able to keep my finger. Any thoughts?

[giulio]

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