Department of Hand Transplant

Hand transplant is a surgical procedure to transplant one or both hands from one human being to another. The donor hand comes from a brain-dead donor. Hand transplant can be considered for people who have lost one or both hands for any reason (road-traffic accident, industrial or agricultural accidents, electrocution, burns, sepsis, etc). The loss of partial hand or few digits can be managed by reconstructive surgery. However, if all fingers or entire hand is lost, there is no satisfactory reconstruction possible. Hand transplant is the only option for these amputees, which can help them to regain useful hand function in order to live an independent life. In appropriately selected candidates, this is the best rehabilitative option. Choose Gleneagles Hospital to ensure a successful hand transplant in Mumbai.  

Diagnosis

All potential recipients for hand transplantation undergo a detailed consultation to understand the complexity and magnitude of the entire procedure. A thorough clinical examination is performed to assess the technical possibility of the procedure. This is followed by detailed investigations and consultation with multiple other specialists involved in the transplantation process. After a detailed psychosocial assessment, the patient is then listed for hand transplantation with the competent authorities of the state government. Following this, we have to wait for a suitable brain-dead donor to donate his hands, which can be attached to the recipient, after appropriate cross-matching. Blood group and HLA cross-match are crucial for the final decision making.

• Eligibility for Hand Transplant
  The decision making in hand transplant surgery is multifactorial. These factors are medical, psychological, social and economic. The patient is thoroughly investigated for the technical feasibility of the surgery. He/she is assessed medical fitness to undergo the major surgery followed by life-long immunosuppression. The psychological and mental stability of the patient is assessed, to make sure he understands the complexity of the entire treatment plan and the possible repercussions of potential risks and complications. The social structure and the family support of the patient are equally crucial to tide over the entire treatment process. Last but not the least the financial stability of the patient is important to ensure smooth treatment and favorable outcomes. All these factors put together help in deciding the eligibility for hand transplantation.