Hand transplantation was the dream of humanity until 1998, when a group of international surgeons gathered in Lyon performed the first of many hand transplantations carried out since then. This book presents the global international experimental and clinical experience on limb transplantation and other composite tissue allografts. It represents the most complete and comprehensive review of all aspects of this innovative and groundbreaking procedure. They range from the experimental basis of hand transplantation, to surgical techniques, to immunology and antirejection drug strategies, to the presentation of the current functional results and future directions, including the possibility to introduce face and uterus transplantation to the clinical practice. This book represents a milestone in the medical literature and is a great asset for every scientific library.
Transplanting a limb has been a dream of humanity - until 1998 when an international team of surgeons gathered in Lyon, France, and performed the first hand transplantation in history. Since then, groups in the United States, China, Austria, Italy and Belgium have launched hand transplantation programmes. In 2002, the International Registry on Hand and Composite Tissue Transplantation (IRHCTT) was created with the purpose of collecting and analysing data from every centre. This book presents the global experimental and clinical experience on hand transplantation and all types of other composite tissue allografts so far performed. A complete review of all aspects of these innovative and ground-breaking procedures is clearly presented in 15 different sections. They include the experimental basis of hand transplantation, strategies for selecting ideal candidates and preparing successful hand transplantation programmes, surgical techniques, most effective immunosuppressive drug regimes, analysis of the unique immunological behaviour of these transplants and rehabilitation protocols to achieve optimal sensory and motor recovery. Each section is dedicated to a special issue, such as psychological and medicolegal implications, brain remodelling after hand transplantation and introduction of a new scoring system for overall comprehensive outcome evaluation. A complete list of composite tissues allografts currently carried out around the world is reported in detail, including the face, abdominal wall, uterus, larynx and knee joint. This book is a milestone in the medical literature and represents a great asset for every scientific library.
