1st Hand Transplant surgery

The Most Incredible Story of a Hand Transplant You May Ever Hear!!! Dr Kodi Azari , an Iranian-born surgeon living in the USA, performs the first ever California’s Hand Allotransplantation !! Source: LOS ANGELES (AP) — Emily Fennell, a 26-year old single mother, who had lost her hand in a car accident and has been living with a prosthetic for 6 years while taking care of her small daughter, has now received the first ever hand allotransplant in the history of California on March 5, and now she is able to hold her daughter for the first time after 6 years! Dr. Kodi Azari with a team of 20 surgeons and supporting staff was able to successfully complete a 15 hour transplant surgery at the UCLA Hospital, First of it’s kind, the surgery consisted of reconnecting “bones, blood vessels, nerves and tendons between the hand from the deceased donor and the recipient. At 4:30 a.m. on March 5, four-and-a-half hours after the operation began, the donor limb was joined to the recipient, and the surgeons then began the complex work of attaching tendons. To attach the hand, doctors had to connect two bones, 23 tendons, two arteries, four veins, and at least three nerves. Unique to this surgery, was the infusion of local anesthetic via the brachial plexus catheter which served to maximize vasodilation to the transplanted hand, decrease vasospasm, improve oxygenation to the donor tissue, and improve the overall success of the transplantation. The patient was able to move the fingers on her new hand soon after the surgery. "The patient's recovery from the procedure has gone extremely well, both psychologically and physically," said Dr. Kodi Azari, surgical director of the UCLA Hand Transplantation center. Emily was introduced to the public for the first time at the hospital when she proudly showed off her new donor hand to the waiting media, while a group of transplant doctors answered questions. (PS: Dr. Azari has performed several successful hand transplantation surgeries after the first recorded by him in UCLA California)--- Salutes to Dr Azari and to the deceased donor and his Family!! Well done Dr !!!!