system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Can we repair damaged nerves?

If yes, which ones and how?
gpt
Yes, nerves can be repaired. If nerves are severed, they can be stitched back together. If a larger piece is damaged, it may require a nerve graft, where the damaged area is removed and another nerve (from elsewhere in your body or from a cadaver) is stitched on to either side. However, this isn't like grafting a blood vessel where it just starts working. You're really making the tunnel that the nerve fibers within it are travelling through, and these need to regrow and reconnect. It's a slow process - about 1 mm a day, and therapy is usually needed to control discomfort and make sure nothing atrophies.