From Alaska to Akron - Surgeon Saves Woman's Hand After Devastating Injury

In October 2023 while housesitting in Fairbanks, Alaska, Michelle Chapman suffered a life-altering fall that almost cost her her hand.

“I fell down a flight of stairs late at night, and at the time I had no idea the extent of damage I’d done to my wrist,” she says. Although the bone was nearly popping out through her skin, Michelle knew she couldn’t drive herself to the ER but didn’t want to bother anyone at the late hour. “I have a high tolerance for pain, so I iced it and went to bed,” she says. In the morning, a friend drove her to the ER, where doctors informed her that her wrist was severely shattered.

An orthopedic surgeon in Fairbanks set her wrist but told her she’d need to see a specialist in Anchorage (350 miles away) for more advanced surgery. In late October, Michelle traveled to Anchorage where she underwent an eight-hour surgery that included placing plates and screws to help repair the damage.

Ten days later, as she prepared to begin physical therapy in Fairbanks, Michelle’s therapist uncovered an infection which landed her in surgery again followed by a four-day hospital stay with IV antibiotics. In December, she traveled to Ohio to visit family and began occupational therapy at the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Health and Wellness Center in Bath. It was there she met therapist, Brian Kemp, who became a pivotal part of her journey.

I knew in my heart that he was going to save my hand. He’s a knowledgeable, professional and caring physician who has gone above and beyond for me.

After returning home to Alaska in January, complications continued to arise. Surgery in February 2024 saw the removal of two of the three plates and a tendon repair but by April she was back in surgery. “I had to have the last plate removed and antibiotic beads placed in my wrist to address the lingering infection that had attached itself to the plate,” Michelle says. “Following that surgery, my surgeon admitted there was nothing more he could do and encouraged me to find another specialist.” Michelle’s surgeon informed her she had a lot of dead bone in her wrist, and he was worried she could lose her hand.

Determined to find help, she reached out to her therapist, Brian, who connected her with Nicholas Satariano, MD, a Cleveland Clinic Akron General hand surgeon.

In May, Michelle flew to Cleveland with an external fixator holding her wrist together so she could meet with Dr. Satariano. “Because she had already undergone several operations, I knew the stakes were high,” says Dr. Satariano.

After thorough research and collaboration with his colleagues, Dr. Satariano devised a plan. “I knew we had one really good shot at getting this right,” he says. The surgery would involve replacing her damaged radius with a graft of fibula bone from her leg, and then fixing everything together with plates and screws. “Normally I would clean out the infection and put in a spacer, and then come back later to fuse the bones back together but this wasn’t an option because Michelle had so much bone loss,” he says.

During the surgery, Dr. Satariano removed all the dead bone, leaving only skin, nerves, tendons and arteries connecting Michelle’s hand to her arm. At the same time, James Gatherwright, MD, an Akron General Plastic Surgeon, harvested the fibula graft from her leg. Michelle’s wrist was then reconstructed with the fibula graft, secured with two plates and connected to the blood supply via microscopic surgery. “It was the most complex case I have ever done in my career due to the amount of dead bone,” Dr. Satariano says.

"I would not have attempted a surgery like this without the advice and support of Dr. Gatherwright,” says Dr. Satariano. “His amazing work was paramount to the success of this case.”

For three months, Michelle’s arm was immobilized in a cast as she focused on healing. “I followed up with Dr. Satariano every four weeks,” says Michelle, who remained in Ohio with family for six months following her surgery. “I would go into the office, and they removed the cast, did X-rays to make sure everything was healing properly and reapplied the cast.”

According to Michelle, Dr. Satariano’s dedication to her care extended beyond the operating room. “He gave me his personal cell number so I could reach him with any questions or concerns,” she says.

“In Michelle’s case, so many things could have gone wrong,” Dr. Satariano says. “I wanted her to know I was 100% committed to her recovery no matter what happened.”

Michelle agrees. “I knew in my heart that he was going to save my hand,” she says. “He’s a knowledgeable, professional and caring physician who has gone above and beyond for me.”

Also integral to Michelle’s healing was the support of her husband, Tom, and her sister and brother-in-law in Ohio with whom she stayed. Today, as she continues to regain strength and mobility, she says Dr. Satariano and his team didn’t just save her hand—they gave her back her life, “I am truly indebted to them,” she says.

For Dr. Satariano, the experience was equally meaningful. “I find joy in treating the routine cases, but it’s not every day you can fundamentally change someone’s life like we did for Michelle,” he says. “This case reminded me of why I do what I do, and why it matters.”