Trauma surgeon Randy Bindra speaks on Port Macquarie shark attack victim Kai McKenzie’s injuries

Australia’s leading shark bite trauma surgeon has revealed just how “catastrophic” the attack on Kai McKenzie was – and the “critical” steps involved in trying to reattach a severed leg.

Leading shark attack surgeon Randy Bindra. Picture: Adam Head.

Australia’s leading shark attack trauma surgeon has revealed just how “catastrophic” the attack on Kai McKenzie was – and the “critical” steps that would be involved in trying to reattach his severed leg.

Gold Coast University Hospital’s Professor Randy Bindra, who in 2015 established a state-of-the-art facility to operate on shark attack victims, says “time is of the essence” in relation to Mr McKenzie’s attack.

Rising surf star Kai McKenzie, 23, was attacked by a 3m white shark off North Shore Beach in Port Macquarie on Tuesday – his leg completely severed above the knee.

Mr McKenzie, 23, was attacked by what is suspected was a 3m white shark off the remote North Shore Beach at Port Macquarie on Tuesday before 11am.

The talented young surfer’s leg was completely severed and washed up on the beach more than an hour after the attack, with locals packing it in ice and police rushing it to hospital.

Prof Bindra said people needed to be aware of just how “catastrophic” a shark attack like Mr McKenzie’s was.

“If you’re going to reattach a limb, the first thing is making sure the patient can withstand a very long operative procedure. You’re looking at least 6-8 hours, significant blood loss and multiple teams working together,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

Kai McKenzie’s severed leg washed up on North Shore beach a short time after the attack and was retrieved by locals who put it on ice, NSW police said. Photograph: NSW Police

“Secondly, we look at how badly mangled the extremity – or limb is. The nerves and tendons are critical and time is of the essence.

“Even if you can keep an extremity cold, and make it survive, if you don’t have good nerve quality or sensation, there’s no point. The limb is compromised.

“Then we need to assess the bone. There’s X-rays to identify the level of injury to the bone. We also look at bone and tissue loss.

“If there’s bone and tissue loss you’re going to end up with one leg shorter than the other, we can’t have that.”

Prof Bindra said “when you cut off circulation to an extremity, the tissue quickly starts to die.

“This is a very risky window of time. Cell death can occur within the muscles,” he said.

He said the window for keeping a severed limb “healthy” was around six hours – “12 if the limb is kept extremely cool”.

But Prof Bindra said Mr McKenzie had overcome “the hardest part of all” – surviving the first few hours after the attack.

Dr Martin Wullschleger and Professor Randy Bindra (right) are directors of trauma and surgery at GC University Hospital where they have treated and saved the lives of several shark attack victims. Picture: Adam Head

“The main catastrophe is the initial blood loss. Those first few hours are critical and usually when patients lose life,” he said.

“There is always a risk of infection after surgeries though.”

Prof Bindra said Mr McKenzie would likely undergo “several surgeries” and that his road to recovery – both mentally and physically – would be an extremely long one.

“Simply leaving the limb off would take at least 6-8 weeks for the wound to properly close. Reattaching a limb would be at least one year for recovery,” he said.

North Shore Beach, near Port Macquarie. Picture: Google Maps

“The physical part is hard but the mental part is always harder. It’s a different experience entirely,” he said.

“The trauma of near-death can stay with you for a very long time, as well as the trauma of losing a limb.”

The state-of-the-art facility Prof Bindra works in has treated several attack victims since 2015, including near-fatal mauling victims Craig Ison, Mat Lee and Sam Morgan.

Mr McKenzie remains in a stable condition in John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle after his first surgery, his family say.

A fundraising page for the young surfer has raised more than $130,000.

Got a story tip? Email [e-mail]