Doctors 'saved' the hand while the patient recovered from other injuries sustained in the accident (Picture: Rex)

A man had his hand fixed to his ankle for a month before doctors successfully reattached it to his arm.

Xiao Wei's right hand was severed in an industrial accident at work.

Xiao Wei spent seven hours waiting for the surgery to begin (Picture: Rex)

'I was just shocked and frozen at the spot, until co-workers unplugged the machine and retrieved my hand and took me to the hospital,' he said of the accident, which took place last month in Changde, south-central China.

After being taken to a larger hospital in the region seven hours after the incident, doctors said they could re-attach the hand but not straightaway.

It is hoped that Xiao Wei will regain full control of his hand (Picture: Rex)

In order to stop the severed hand from dying, they grafted it to Mr Xiao's ankle, where it remained for a month before he had recovered from other injuries sustained in the accident to undergo re-attachment surgery.

Doctors are now hopeful that he will regain full function of his hand.