(Gray News) – A 20-year-old man who suffered distress over two fingers on his left hand successfully relieved his stress by amputating them, according to experts.
The surgery results were published March 27 in the medical journal
Clinical Case Reports.
According to researchers, the unnamed 20-year-old suffered from body integrity identity disorder (BIID), a condition which causes a person to have the distressing belief that a particular body part should not exist. Experts said this could potentially lead to self-amputation attempts that could put their lives at risk.
Researchers said the 20-year-old who experienced BIID regarding the fourth and fifth fingers on his left hand experienced immediate relief after the amputations. Some of the symptoms he was relieved from included nightmares and emotional distress and he also had improved functionality after the surgery.
The decision to move forward with the amputation was made despite ethical concerns because doctors had the patient’s desire and consent for the procedure. The results would also mitigate the risks of self-harm from the patient.
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