Former "Bachelorette" star Andi Dorfman says doctors needed to reattach tendons after she accidentally gave herself "avocado hand." (Andi Dorfman/Instagram; iStock)
After their unfortunate avocado-related injuries earlier this week, Joy Behar and Andi Dorfman have drawn attention to an odd, yet dangerous phenomenon known as “avocado hand” — but doctors have been warning guac-lovers about the all-too-common affliction for a long time.
Doctors first warned of “avocado hand” — i.e., hand lacerations sustained while incorrectly cutting open avocados — over a year ago, after a spate of avocado-related injuries began sending foodies to emergency rooms across the U.K., the Times of London reported in May 2017.
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“People do not anticipate that the avocados they buy can be very ripe and there is minimal understanding of how to handle them,” plastic surgeon Simon Eccles told the Times last year.
In fact, “avocado hand” had become so common that doctors at the St. Thomas hospital in London reportedly ready themselves for a “post-brunch surge” of avocado-related injuries on Saturday afternoons, with cuts sometimes requiring surgery or leading to serious nerve damage.
Behar’s own doctor, too, reportedly told the TV personality that he sees these types of injuries “all the time,” usually due to people slicing avocados or even bagels incorrectly.
Joy Behar told her co-hosts on "The View" that her doctor hears about similar "avocado hand" cases "all the time." (ABC)
“Apparently there is a syndrome called avocado hand,” Behar said on Tuesday’s episode of “The View,” adding that her doctor confirmed the condition.
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And despite its silly-sounding name, former “Bachelorette” Andi Dorfman’s confirmed just how bad a case of “avocado hand” can get, after she shared news on Instagram that doctors needed to reattach the tendons and nerves in her hand.
Doctors, meanwhile, have been calling for better avocado-handling practices, with some advocating for a warning sticker to be placed directly on the avocado skin.
Until then, however, one chef told The Independent the best way to safely cut an avocado is to lay it horizontally on a flat surface, place a hand on top of it, and slice into the fruit horizontally, twisting the avocado around until its separated into halves.
Then, to remove the pit, wrap the fruit in a heavy towel and place it on a sturdy countertop, chop down into the pit so the blade sticks into it, and twist to remove.
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