Surgeon Issues Warning About Snowblowers After Treating Three Patients With Severed Fingers In One Day

CHICAGO (CBS) -- More than likely with all the snow on the ground in the Chicago area, you have been hearing the roar of snowblowers up and down your neighborhood.

On Thursday night, a surgeon reached out to CBS 2. He treated three patients on Thursday who severed their fingers in separate incidents involving snowblowers.

Now, the doctor and one of his patients want to warn you to stay safe no matter how confident you are around a snowblower.

"I wasn't thinking very well, then I put my left hand down to the chute to pull the snow out," said patient Todd Freedman of Vernon Hills.

"So it's like putting your hand inside of a garbage disposal while the garbage disposal is still on – you forgot to turn it off," said Dr. John Fernandez of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.

Freedman was able to have his fingers reattached and is expected to make a full recovery.