Cleveland Clinic
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After a devastating lawn mower accident, Luke Brittain underwent a 14-hour hand reattachment surgery. Years later, he’s back playing baseball and continuing to defy expectations. In April 2019, Luke lost control of his stand-on lawnmower when it slipped on a muddy hillside. Seeing he was about to land atop the upside-down mower’s still-spinning blades, Luke instinctively reached up with his dominant left hand to shield his face just before impact.
“I rolled off the mower as fast as I could,” recalls Luke, a lifelong athlete and accomplished baseball player. “I tried to reach down in my pocket for my phone and that’s when I realized my hand wasn’t there.” An ambulance rushed Luke to Cleveland Clinic Akron General. He was met by orthopaedic surgeon Dr. William Lanzinger. Dr. Lanzinger told Luke he would try his best to reattach his hand and restore its functionality.
Fourteen hours later, Dr. Lanzinger, fellow orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Andrew Esterle, and a rotating team of a dozen other physicians, nurses and anesthesiologists succeeded in reattaching Luke’s hand. According to Dr. Lanzinger, Luke incurred injuries to every part of his hand, fingers, and thumb. “One of the hardest parts of the surgery was putting the bones back together. He had multiple fractures and dislocations.”
Luke endured intensive physical and occupational therapy, as well as five additional surgeries to address the issues that remained. Initially unable to tie his shoes or take a shower without help, Luke became more proficient in day-to-day tasks. Years later, he now spends days working for a lawn and landscape business, enjoys spending time with his daughter, Oakleigh, and teaches her tips about his favorite sport, and plays baseball both recreationally and with the Louisville Slugger Warriors National Amputee Baseball Team. The team recently played at Progressive Field and Dr. Lanzinger threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Luke.
“I’m incredibly grateful for my clinical team and everything they did for me,” Luke says. “Oakleigh is a constant source of inspiration. You have to keep working and pushing through, and I hope to be a living example of that.
