Hand transplantation

Hand transplantation is a surgical procedure to transplant a hand from one human to another. The 'donor' hand usually comes from a brain-dead donor and is transplanted to a recipient who has lost one or both hands/arms. Most hand transplants to date have been performed on below elbow amputees, although above elbow transplants are gaining popularity. Hand transplants were the first of a new category of transplants where multiple organs are transplanted as a single functional unit, now termed 'Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation' or VCA. Hand transplantation is a surgical procedure to transplant a hand from one human to another. The 'donor' hand usually comes from a brain-dead donor and is transplanted to a recipient who has lost one or both hands/arms. Most hand transplants to date have been performed on below elbow amputees, although above elbow transplants are gaining popularity. Hand transplants were the first of a new category of transplants where multiple organs are transplanted as a single functional unit, now termed 'Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation' or VCA. The operation is quite extensive and typically lasts from 8 to 12 hours. By comparison, a typical heart transplant operation lasts 6 to 8 hours. Surgeons usually connect the bones first, followed by tendons, arteries, nerves, veins, and skin. The recipient of a hand transplant needs to take immunosuppressive drugs similar to other transplants such as kidneys or livers, as the body's natural immune system will try to reject, or destroy, the hand. These drugs cause the recipient to have a weaker immune system which may lead to an increased risk of infections and some cancers. There have been many advances in solid organ transplantation over the years that have made these medications quite tolerable.