Hand and face transplants are becoming more common, according to a Kiwi surgeon.
Boston-based New Zealand reconstructive plastic surgeon Simon Talbot has been involved in a number of double hand transplants and seven face transplants and says they make an extraordinary difference to recipients.
"It makes such a difference to recipients to be able to use their hands and eat independently or walk around with a face that doesn't attract a lot of attention," he says.
"Many people who lose a limb experience challenging psychological issues. If you can't reach your face, it's very hard to feed yourself or take care of personal hygiene. Our hands also play a very important role in our emotional expression and interaction with others."
Dr Talbot says such transplants were initially met with reservation.
"We surgeons had a level of discomfort as well because we were transplanting something that was highly visible, very personal and recognisable. But that's changed as we've seen how these transplants really improve the lives of recipients."
He says people now realise, "this isn't a Frankenstein-type experiment, it's real life."
"It's also made families far more comfortable with the idea of donating their loved ones' hands and faces."
Dr Talbot says advances in immunosuppressant drugs have also helped to improve the success of such transplants and most patients do very well.
He says while 85 percent of his transplant patients have experienced rejection within a year, all have been resolved by boosting immunosuppressive treatment.
Dr Talbot trained at the Auckland School of Medicine before moving to Boston to complete his training in plastic and reconstructive surgery 14 years ago.
He was involved in the frontline work following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and says the use of plastic surgeons helped to dramatically reduce the need for amputations.
Dr Talbot, director of Brigham and Women's Hospital's Upper Extremity Transplant Program, is back in New Zealand to speak at the New Zealand Association of Plastic Surgeons' Annual Scientific Meeting.
Newshub.
