Hand Transplant History

Ecuador Hand Transplant
A hand transplant was attempted in 1964 in South America. The patient was given what by today's standard would be primitive immunosuppressive agents. The hand transplant was rejected within two weeks. There was little immunologic testing or follow-up to allow an appropriate gain of information from the experience.

New Drug Therapies
With the introduction in the early 1980s of the drug cyclosporine (which prevents rejection of transplanted organs by suppressing the body's immune system), survival rates of transplanted organs have climbed. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing’s 1996 report, one year survival rates for liver transplants average about 70 percent; heart 82 percent; lung 71 percent; kidney 81 percent (kidney, living donor 91 percent); pancreas 74 percent.

France Hand Transplant
A hand transplant was performed on New Zealeader, Clint Hallam, in Lyon, France on September 23, 1998. Jean-Michel Dubernard, M.D. led a group of doctors flown in from around the world to perform the 13-hour procedure. Surgeons in Britain later amputated the hand February 2, 2001 in a London hospital at the patient’s request. It was reported the patient failed to follow the correct anti-rejection treatment and physical therapy prescribed by his physicians. The patient’s hand was amputated in February 2, 2001.

United States Hand Transplant
Jewish Hospital funded a research program at the University of Louisville focusing on Composite Tissue Allotransplantation. A multidisciplinary team consisting of hand and microsurgeons and researchers from Kleinert, Kutz Hand Care Center and University of Louisville School of Medicine transplant surgeons and researchers was assembled to conduct research. The team, expanded to transplant immunologists, transplant coordinators, pathologists, pharmacologists, psychologists, and clinical and basic science researchers has met weekly since that time to plan and discuss ongoing research in preparation for a hand transplant.

In July, 1998, the team received approval to perform a human hand transplant from the University of Louisville School of Medicine Human Studies Committee and the Jewish Hospital Institutional Review Board. The team decided to proceed based on the encouraging experimental results from its own research and the consensus of leading researchers who attended a scientific meeting held in November of 1997 in Louisville. The International Symposium on Composite Tissue Allotransplantation sponsored by Jewish Hospital Foundation, Inc. hosted internationally recognized experts who discussed research in transplantation, immunology, ethical issues, feasibility of the hand transplant procedure and patient concerns.

The Louisville team performed the first hand transplant in the United States January 25, 1999 on Matthew Scott, a Absecon, New Jersey man. Scott continues to do well gaining strength, control and range of motion in his new left hand.

Kleinert, Kutz Hand Care Center has more than 30-year history of world firsts in hand and microsurgery techniques. Surgeons trained at the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery, the research and educational component of the practice have trained more than 1050 hand fellows from 51 countries.

Transplant surgeons from the University of Louisville perform all five solid organ transplants that take place at The Transplant Center at Jewish Hospital. This Center is designated as a Medicare heart, lung, liver and kidney transplant center. The Transplant Center at Jewish Hospital is a program with the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

Peoples Republic of China Hand Transplant
Two single hand transplants were performed in China on September 21, 1999 on a 39-year-old male and a 27-year-old male at the same time. The surgeries were performed by Guoxian Pei, M.D., Ph.D, Liqian Gu, M.D., Ph.D., and Xiaofei Zhen, M.D. at the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou, Peoples Republic of China.

Lyon, France Double Hand Transplant
A team of surgeons led by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard performed the world’s first double hand transplant. The 50-member surgical team performed the 17-hour operation on January 12, 2000 at Hospital Edouard in Lyon, France. The patient, Denis Chatelier, is a 33-year-old house painter and father of two, whose hands were blown off when a home-made model rocket exploded prematurely. Chatelier’s operation is the first in a series of five double hand transplants that France will use to decide whether the transplantation of limbs and other external multi-tissue organs will become commonplace there.

Peoples Republic of China Hand Transplant
Two single hand transplants were performed in Guazgxi, China in January 2000. Additional information is unavailable at this time.

Austrian Double Hand Transplant
On March 8, 2000, during a 17-hour surgery, a team of 18 surgeons performed the second double hand transplant in the world at the University Clinic in Innsbruck, Austria. Theo Kelz, a 45-year-old policeman from Carinthia, Austria, received the transplant. A pipe bomb explosion in August of 1994 caused Kelz to lose both of his hands. Two teams worked simultaneously on both hands during the procedure. Raimund Margreiter, MD, a transplant and oncology surgeon headed the team.

Malaysian Hand and Arm Transplant
On May 18, 2000, a team of physicians led by Dr. V. Pathmanathon, at Selayang Hospital performed the world’s first arm and hand transplant to a one-month-old baby girl. Chong Lih Ying was born with a severely deformed left arm, whose donor was her identical twin sister, who died when the pair where born. Since Chong received the limb from her identical sister, there was no need to take anti-rejection drugs. Malaysia’s Health Minister expects the transplanted arm to function fully by the end of the year.

Peoples Republic of China Double Hand Transplant
A double hand transplant was performed in Guangzhou, China in September 2000. Additional information is unavailable at this time.

Italian Hand Transplant
October 2000, Professor Marco Lanzetta led a team of surgeons to perform a 15-hour single hand transplant, in Monza, Italy. Valter Visigolli, a 35-year-old patient received the transplant for his right hand. Professor Lanzetta was also part of the world’s first hand transplant team in Lyon, France.

Peoples Republic of China Double Hand Transplant
A double hand transplant was performed in Harbin, China in January 2001. Additional information is unavailable at this time.

Second United States Hand Transplant
A team of hand surgeons from Kleinert, Kutz Hand Care Center and the University of Louisville led by Warren C. Breidenbach, M.D performed the second United States hand transplant at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. The Louisville team performed the innovative procedure on 36 year old Gerald David Matthew Fisher, Jr., a self-employed contractor from Jackson, Michigan. Fisher received he new left hand on February 16-17, 2001. The patient continues to gain strength, control and range of motion in his new left hand.

Milan, Italy Hand Transplant
A single hand transplant was performed in Milan, Italy in October 2001. Additional information is unavailable at this time.

Brussells, Belguim Hand Transplant
A single hand transplant was performed in Brussells, Belgium in January 2002. Additional information is unavailable at this time.

Third United States Hand Transplant
A team of hand surgeons from Kleinert, Kutz Hand Care Center and the University of Louisville led by Warren C. Breidenbach, M.D. performed the third United States hand transplant at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. The Louisville team performed the innovative procedure on 54 year old David F. Savage, a Means Industries production supervisor from Bay City, Michigan. Savage received his new right hand on November 29, 2006. The patient continues to gain strength, control and range of motion in his new right hand.

Fourth United States Hand Transplant
A team of hand surgeons from Kleinert, Kutz Hand Care Center and the University of Louisville led by Warren C. Breidenbach, M.D. performed the fourth United States hand transplant at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. The Louisville team performed the innovative procedure on 32 year old Dave Robert Armstrong, an automotive shop manager from Upland, California. Savage received his new right hand on July 12, 2008. The patient continues to gain strength, control and range of motion in his new right hand.

German Double Arm Transplant
The world’s first double arm transplant was conducted in Munich, Germany in July 2008. Doctors spent 15 hours grafting the arms onto the body of a 54-year-old man. Additional details are not available at this time.

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