The 10-year-old Perth boy who had three limbs surgically reattached after they were severed during a game of backyard basketball was awake and smiling yesterday, despite still being in considerable pain.

According to the plastic surgeon who led the surgical team which operated on Terry Vo, the youngster now had the best possible chance of recovery after suffering the horrific injuries in an accident in Perth on Saturday night.

Both of his hands and his left foot were cut off when a brick wall supporting a basketball backboard gave way as he executed a slam dunk at a friend's birthday party.