Hand Transplantation
Whilst working at Louisville, Kentucky I was fortunate enough to witness the first American hand transplant (and the only second such procedure worldwide at that time).
The technical aspects of the operation are familiar to any microsurgeon who regularly deals with upper extremity trauma such as replantation of limbs. The organisation however is complex and covers selection procedures, the clinical indications and input from colleagues in immunology, pharmacology, clinical psychology, orthopaedics, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
Organ transplantation is well established at Leeds (a national centre) and I was part of a team that included liver transplant surgery colleagues and immunologists. We looked at the feasibility of this type of work on patients in the UK
Our aim was to be able to provide hand or limb parts to patients who have sustained severe multi-limb loss, for example, those with the sequelae of meningitis C
I wrote the surgical protocol for this procedure in 2001.
This project is on hold due to the current funding constraints in the NHS.
The technical aspects of the operation are familiar to any microsurgeon who regularly deals with upper extremity trauma such as replantation of limbs. The organisation however is complex and covers selection procedures, the clinical indications and input from colleagues in immunology, pharmacology, clinical psychology, orthopaedics, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
Organ transplantation is well established at Leeds (a national centre) and I was part of a team that included liver transplant surgery colleagues and immunologists. We looked at the feasibility of this type of work on patients in the UK
Our aim was to be able to provide hand or limb parts to patients who have sustained severe multi-limb loss, for example, those with the sequelae of meningitis C
I wrote the surgical protocol for this procedure in 2001.
This project is on hold due to the current funding constraints in the NHS.
