A horrific workplace accident occurred at a factory in China's Shandong province, where a female worker had her left ear, scalp, and part of her face torn off by a heavy machine. Due to damage to the feeding blood vessels, doctors could not immediately reattach the ear. They chose to temporarily attach the ear to the top of the patient's foot, as the skin in that area is thin, and its blood vessels are similar in diameter to those in the ear, which facilitates the graft. Because of the twisting and deformation of the blood vessels and nerves in the woman's scalp, surgeons had to dissect the tissues layer by layer under a microscope to find suitable vessels and nerves for connection. To increase the chances of a successful reattachment, it was first necessary to restore the ear. For the next five months, the woman walked with her ear attached to her foot, wearing only loose shoes to avoid pressure. In October, a team of surgeons attempted to return the ear to its original place, but the task was extremely difficult.
