A position statement in support of hand transplantation

Area of Science:

• Surgical innovation
• Transplantation immunology
• Reconstructive surgery

Background:

• Experimental limb transplantation in animals using novel immunosuppressants achieved prolonged survival.
• Successful individual transplantation of all hand tissue components (skin, muscle, tendon, nerve, bone, joint) in humans.
• Ethical and experimental groundwork laid for clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of clinical hand transplantation in humans.
• To assess functional outcomes and patient survival rates following hand allotransplantation.
• To establish the viability of hand transplantation as a reconstructive option.

Main Methods:

• Ethical review, experimental data analysis, treatment protocol development, and informed consent were obtained.
• Clinical trials involving the transplantation of thirteen hands onto ten recipients were conducted.
• Immunosuppressive drug regimens were utilized to ensure graft survival.

Main Results:

• Low morbidity and no mortality were observed in the ten recipients.
• Hand transplantation demonstrated highly successful outcomes, with functional return comparable to hand replantation.
• Grafts were progressively integrated into recipients' daily living and professional activities.

Conclusions:

• Hand transplantation exhibits a high patient and graft survival rate, surpassing initial results of other transplanted organs.
• The successful integration and function of transplanted hands support the continuation of clinical trials.
• Hand transplantation represents a promising advancement in reconstructive surgery, offering significant functional restoration.