Graphic pics: Firefighter's mangled hand is saved after it was sewn in a 'pocket' inside his abdomen for three weeks

Surgeons saved a retained firefighter's mangled hand, after it was crushed by rollers, by sewing it inside a 'pocket' in his stomach for three weeks. Antony Seward was just 20 when his left hand was mangled following a work accident at the Heathcote Fabrics Ltd factory in Tiverton, Devon. Rushed to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, medics decided to carry out a Pedicled Abdominal Flap procedure to allow his skin to heal and generate a blood supply from the hand. It was then separated from the abdomen and the skin was folded over to cover the entire hand.

Surgeon James Henderson Henderson said Antony's fingers could be improved with transplants from his toes 'to give him good fingertip for gripping fine objects'.  Antony has now had two operations to separate his fingers so he can move them independently. Antony thanked the doctors that have treated him saying: 'They did a phenomenal job and I don't think they could have done any better.'