Publication

Abstract : Introduction: Vascularized composite tissue allotransplantation is a relatively new concept, which was unavailable in the Indian subcontinent till a bilateral hand transplant was carried out successfully in January 2015. Materials and Methods: The setting up of the transplant programme involved obtaining legal clearances, creating public awareness, harnessing the institutional facilities, drawing up protocols, assembling the surgical team, managing immunological issues, rehabilitation and preparing the ancillary services. Results: Both, the first and second bilateral hand transplants were resounding successes with both the recipients getting back to their original daily routines. Conclusions: The organisation of the hand transplant programme was a large task, which necessitated intensive planning, and cooperation from various teams within and outside the institution. Exemplary team-work was the key to the phenomenal success of these path breaking endeavors in the subcontinent. Iyer Subramania 1 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Sharma Mohit 2 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Kishore P 3 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Mathew Jimmy 4 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Vijayaraghavan Sundeep 5 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Ramu Janarthanan 6 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Wakure Abhijeet 7 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Reddy Raghuveer 8 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Mali Chetan S 9 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Varma Visakh 10 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Chaudhari Ashish 11 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Dhake Swapnil 12 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Omkumar Akshay 13 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Prasad V 14 Department of Transplant co-ordinator, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala Petruzzo P, Lanzetta M, Dubernard JM, Landin L, Cavadas P, Margreiter R, et al. The international registry on hand and composite tissue transplantation. Transplantation 2010;90:1590-4. Baumeister S, Kleist C, Döhler B, Bickert B, Germann G, Opelz G, et al. Risks of allogeneic hand transplantation. Microsurgery 2004;24:98-103. Landin L, Bonastre J, Casado-Sanchez C, Diez J, Ninkovic M, Lanzetta M, et al. Outcomes with respect to disabilities of the upper limb after hand allograft transplantation: A systematic review. Transpl Int 2012;25:424-32. Sandeep S, Srija M, Shilpa P, Mathew A, Rajesh R, Kurian G, et al. Kidney transplantation - Experience at Amrita hospital. Amrita J Med 2013;9:24-7. 325 Liver Transplants in Ten Years at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), Kochi. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University); c2017. Available from: https://www.amrita.edu/news/325-liver-transplants-ten-years-amrita-institute-medical-sciences-aims-Kochi. [Last accessed on 2017 Mar 11]. Kerala Network for Organ Sharing Mrithasanjeevani. MOHAN Foundation; c2016. Available from: http://www.knos.org.in/default.aspx. [Last accessed on 2017 Mar 11]. Amirlak B, Gonzalez R, Gorantla V, Breidenbach WC 3rd, Tobin GR. Creating a hand transplant program. Clin Plast Surg 2007;34:279-89, x. Cendales LC, Kanitakis J, Schneeberger S, Burns C, Ruiz P, Landin L, et al. The Banff 2007 working classification of skin-containing composite tissue allograft pathology. Am J Transplant 2008;8:1396-400.