Friday marks one year since an alligator nearly took off a Florida firefighter's arm.Orlando sister station WESH spoke to the doctor who saved his arm and life — and the patient who couldn't be more grateful.Carsten Kieffer and his friend were out hunting alligators when a 12-foot gator came close to their boat."We put a harpoon in the alligator, and all of sudden, it feels of pain. Just a defensive move of the alligator to go back and snap at whatever hit it, and that just happened to be me," Kieffer said.Then, he said, the gator began twisting. "I heard the skin rip and the bones break, and then, luckily, he let go at that point," Kieffer said. Once the gator let go, they called 911. It was Dr. Karan Desai's first day on the job at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute."First I thought it was kind of a joke, because they were giving the new guy a hard time. They were serious and I rushed to ER to help Carsten,” Desai said.The firefighter went through months of numerous surgeries and skin grafts."Then I started the process of reconstructing his tendons, and stealing them from one part of the arm to the other part of the arm so that he could restore some of his wrist, finger and thumb motion," Desai said.The doctor set the broken bones with two metal plates and 17 screws."Going into surgery, I knew that I was going to lose my arm and I had already kind of made peace with that. So when I woke up the next day and I had my arm intact and I could move my fingers, that was a giant boost of motivation," Kieffer said.Kieffer worked hard in rehab and within eight months from the gator bite, the firefighter was back at work full time."Hard work and lot of faith, it's going to get you a long way," Kieffer said."Both teams gave 110%, and that's what led to a great result," Desai said.However, Kieffer promised his children there would be no more alligator hunting.
Friday marks one year since an alligator nearly took off a Florida firefighter's arm.
Orlando sister station WESH spoke to the doctor who saved his arm and life — and the patient who couldn't be more grateful.
Carsten Kieffer and his friend were out hunting alligators when a 12-foot gator came close to their boat.
"We put a harpoon in the alligator, and all of sudden, it feels of pain. Just a defensive move of the alligator to go back and snap at whatever hit it, and that just happened to be me," Kieffer said.
Then, he said, the gator began twisting.
"I heard the skin rip and the bones break, and then, luckily, he let go at that point," Kieffer said.
Once the gator let go, they called 911.
It was Dr. Karan Desai's first day on the job at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute.
"First I thought it was kind of a joke, because they were giving the new guy a hard time. They were serious and I rushed to ER to help Carsten,” Desai said.
The firefighter went through months of numerous surgeries and skin grafts.
"Then I started the process of reconstructing his tendons, and stealing them from one part of the arm to the other part of the arm so that he could restore some of his wrist, finger and thumb motion," Desai said.
The doctor set the broken bones with two metal plates and 17 screws.
"Going into surgery, I knew that I was going to lose my arm and I had already kind of made peace with that. So when I woke up the next day and I had my arm intact and I could move my fingers, that was a giant boost of motivation," Kieffer said.
Kieffer worked hard in rehab and within eight months from the gator bite, the firefighter was back at work full time.
"Hard work and lot of faith, it's going to get you a long way," Kieffer said.
"Both teams gave 110%, and that's what led to a great result," Desai said.
However, Kieffer promised his children there would be no more alligator hunting.
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