Scientists Graft Human Ear Onto Foot

Published: Wednesday, December 31, 2025 at 6:00 pm

Chinese Doctors Successfully Graft Ear onto Foot in Groundbreaking Procedure

In a medical first, doctors in China have successfully grafted a patient's severed ear onto her foot. The patient, identified by her surname Sun, suffered a severe workplace accident involving heavy machinery that tore off a significant portion of her scalp and ear.

According to Qiu Shenqiang, deputy director of the microsurgery unit at Shandong Provincial Hospital in Jinan, the damage to the patient's scalp and vascular network was so extensive that immediate reattachment of the ear was impossible. The surgical team opted to preserve the ear by attaching it to the patient's foot. The foot was chosen because its arteries and veins are compatible with those in the ear, and the skin and soft tissue are similarly thin.

The initial grafting procedure, which took ten hours, involved meticulously connecting the delicate veins. Complications arose five days later when the ear turned purplish black due to blood pooling. The team intervened with manual bloodletting, requiring nearly five hundred individual interventions to save the ear.

After the ear stabilized, the team gradually restored the patient's scalp. Five months after the accident, the scalp and neck had healed sufficiently, allowing the team to return the ear to its original location. The patient has since been discharged from the hospital, with her face and tissue function largely recovered.

BNN's Perspective: This case highlights the remarkable advancements in microsurgery and the dedication of medical professionals to push the boundaries of what is possible. While the procedure is undeniably unusual, it demonstrates the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the medical team in preserving a vital sensory organ and improving the patient's quality of life. The success of this procedure offers hope for future advancements in reconstructive surgery.

Keywords: ear graft, foot, surgery, China, microsurgery, workplace accident, scalp, vascular network, Qiu Shenqiang, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan, heterotopic graft, bloodletting, reconstructive surgery, medical innovation.

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