The wound infection and avascular tissue were two major obstacles in this surgery, and they were unavoidable.
If they forcibly tried to reattach the limb now, the wound infection would worsen, risking the patient's life. If they continued to keep the severed arm on ice while treating the infection, they simply wouldn't have enough time.
Even the best medication requires a significant amount of time to completely clear an infection. By then, the arm would have been detached for too long.
Limb reattachment surgery has its guiding principles; it's not as simple as just sewing the severed limb back on.
The first principle is that life takes precedence over limb reattachment.
The second is that if a severed limb has been detached for too long before reattachment, there can be potentially life-threatening complications post-surgery.
