Hand/Arm Transplant Definition Status History Worldwide Performance Functional Outcomes Psychological Outcomes Patient Experiences Potential Benefits Limitations Unknowns Myths and Facts
Process Transplant Evaluation Process Who is Eligible Who Makes a Good Candidate Contacting a Transplant Center Meeting the Transplant Team After Evaluation What is Surgery Like
Risks Surgical and Medical Acute and Chronic Rejection Removing the Hand Anti-Rejection Medicine Pain and Discomfort Emotional and Social
Recovery Surgical Recovery Rehabilitation Process Lifestyle Changes Caregiver's Role
Decision-Making Optional Treatment Weigh All Options Mental Health Changes Social Support Commitments Financial Costs
Options Cosmetic Prostheses Body-Powered Prostheses Electric Prostheses Myoelectric Prostheses Switch and Pressure Sensors LUKE Arm Osseointegration No Prosthesis
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Home > Decision-Making > Commitments

 

Commitments

What Are the Long-Term Commitments With Hand/Arm Transplantation?

  • Following their hand/arm transplantation, recipients will need to commit to taking anti-rejection medicine for the rest of their lives.1

  • Recipients who are unable to adhere to their anti-rejection medicines will be at risk of losing their hand/arm transplant.2

  • Recipients need to commit to ongoing hand therapy, regular blood draws, and regular check-ups to ensure their transplanted hand/arm remains healthy.1

  • It is important to consider the financial commitment involved in hand/arm transplantation, such as the out-of-pocket costs for the surgical procedure and anti-rejection medicines.3

Takeaway Point:

  • Hand/arm transplant recipients need to make long-term commitments to their rehabilitation process and lifestyle changes, which involve time and money.3,4
 

Mr. Cicero, with unilateral, above elbow limb loss (12 years after amputation), talks about why hand/arm transplantation is not for him.

Mr. St. Onge, with bilateral, below-elbow limb loss (21 years after amputation), talks about various concerns he has about getting hand/arm transplants.

 
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“You’re supposed to keep from getting infections, getting a cold, getting sick, getting cuts and dirt in it. I wasn’t the best at that. I was trying to go back to my old life.”
- Josh Maloney, an ex-Marine who received a hand transplant in 2009 and later had it removed in 2013

 
 

Click Below for More Videos

Videos of Hand/Arm Transplant Recipients and People with Limb Loss

Ms. Hill, with unilateral, above-elbow limb loss (6 years after amputation), talks about how the time away from home factored into her decision about whether to get a hand/arm transplant.

Mr. St. Onge, with bilateral, below-elbow limb loss (21 years after amputation), explains how begin close to where you receive care is an important factor in decision-making for hand/arm transplantation.

Mr. St. Onge, with bilateral, below-elbow limb loss (21 years after amputation), gives his thoughts about the long-term commitments for hand/arm transplantation.

References

Sources

  1. Dumont M, Sann L, Gazarian A. Bilateral Hand Transplantation: Supporting the Patient's Choice. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery 2017;70(2):147-151.

  2. Kanitakis J, Jullien D, Petruzzo P, et al. Clinicopathologic Features of Graft Rejection of the First Human Hand Allograft. Transplantation 2003;76(4):688-693.

  3. Jensen SE, Butt Z, Heinemann AW, et al. Perceptions of the Risks and Benefits of Upper Limb Transplantation Among Individuals with Upper Limb Amputations. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 2014;134(5):979-987.

  4. Kumnig M, Jowsey-Gregoire SG, Moreno E, et al. An Overview of Psychosocial Assessment Procedures in Reconstructive Hand Transplantation. Transplant International 2014;27(5):417-427.