Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 10, 2025
Vascularized Composite Hand Allograft Procurement and Preparation for Distal and Proximal Forearm Allotransplantation: A Stepwise Approach
Published on: May 23, 2025
[The first bilateral hand transplantation in the Netherlands: results after 1 year]
Steven E R Hovius1, Anne Sophie Kruit1,2, Dietmar J O Ulrich1
1Radboudumc, afd. Plastische, Reconstructieve en Handchirurgie, Nijmegen.
Background:
Although more than 130 hand-arm transplantations have been performed worldwide, the first Dutch hand transplantation has been performed only recently. This bilateral hand-arm transplantation was performed in June 2019 in the Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen. This report describes the preparation, procedure and 1-year follow-up results.
Case Description:
This 44 years-old female patient had an amputation of both lower legs and hands in 2014, following a severe sepsis with peripheral tissue necrosis. The patient was mobile with her leg prostheses at the time of presentation. The loss of hand function, however, formed a continuous invalidation and could not be improved adequately with prosthesis due to the distal amputation level of her hands.
Conclusion:
The total procedure took 24 hours and was successful. Both the aesthetical and functional results were good and are still improving. The patient considered the transplanted hands immediately as her own.
