Resurrecting Harry’s Hand

Harry lost the use of his right hand but he found the right surgeon, and that changed his life.

After lacing up his sneakers and pulling on his hoodie, Harry Perks grabs hold of his walker and sets out for a stroll through the corridors of NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter in Harlem, his current home.   But what looks easy for him today was unthinkable just a year ago when he had no use of his right hand.

A drug overdose in 2015 put Harry perilously close to losing his life.  For 3 ½ long minutes, his brain was deprived of oxygen leading to irreversible brain damage. 

Harry’s father, also named Harry, fights back tears as he recounts the story.

“They told me to sign a DNR because they didn’t think he was gonna come out…but he did,” said the father.

Since then both Harry Jr. and his family have traveled a slow and painful road to recovery with many setbacks. Harry, 43 who is by all accounts a fighter, worked hard on his speech and motor skills but never regained the use of his hands, especially his right hand which was bent like a claw.  

Although he has trouble enunciating, when asked what he could do with his bent hand he is clear as a bell: “Nothing, nothing,” he says, and shakes his head.   

Years of therapy, bracing and exercises yielded some improvements which plateaued. Harry then began getting Botox injections from his physiatrist Dr. Jonah Green at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull in Brooklyn. This helped him regain control in his lower extremities and left hand which made walking and getting around much easier.

But the Botox was not working for his right hand, so Dr. Green referred Harry to a hand surgeon Dr.  Eitan Melamed at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst in Queens.  

Dr. Eitan Melamed visits Harry at NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter.

Before and after photos of Harry’s hand.

Harry with Raven McKay, Certified Nurse Assistant at NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter who helped him achieve independence and strength.

Harry can now use his hand to grip objects.

Harry, Jr. with his father, Harry, Sr.

Harry, Jr. with his father, Harry, Sr.

“When I first met Harry, his wrist was extremely bent, which made it very difficult for him to grasp objects.  It was really very challenging for him,” said Dr. Melamed.   

The technical term is “spastic flexion contracture” which means that the loss of oxygen to Harry’s brain affected the muscles that control his wrists and arms, resulting in increased tone and nonfunctional positions.  This is a common side effect of traumatic brain injuries and stroke.     

Dr. Melamed knew right away that he could help.        

“I thought Harry was a great candidate for surgery because he’s mentally tough, he wants to get better and has amazing family support,” added Dr. Melamed. 

What followed was a 3-hour, highly specialized surgery to both lengthen the contracted muscles and decrease the exaggerated muscle tone permanently. The procedure, known as “selective neurectomy” involves cutting nerve branches that contribute to the uncoordinated motion and excess tone of the contracted muscles, diminishing these abnormalities and improving overall function.

Four months later when Harry came for his follow-up, he had his right hand back.

 “It wasn’t just that his hand was straight again. His confidence just blossomed.  It really pushed him steps beyond where he was,” says Harry Sr.

With the dedicated care of Certified Nursing Assistant Raven Mackay and the NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter staff, Harry Perks can now shower, dress and feed himself.  He can also use his laptop which keeps him connected to his friends and the world. 

“The hand surgery was a miracle,” says Harry Sr. “I couldn’t believe the doc could fix it.” 

Dr. Melamed made a recent visit to Harry Jr. in his light filled room at Carter, which is personalized with street art and a wall of shoeboxes containing his impressive collection of sneakers.  

“I’m very excited to see Harry’s progress,” Dr. Melamed beams.   

“Thank you, Doc,” says Harry.  “You helped. You changed my life.”

For more information about the Center for Hand Surgery at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, click here.