Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : September 30, 2024 8:01 AM IST
After undergoing a detailed preoperative workup, the patient -- Anamta Ahmad from Mumbai's Goregaon -- was listed for hand transplantation. (Representational image/Freepik)
Hand transplant case in India: Undergoing a transplant surgery is a significant milestone for a person dealing with serious health problems. It gives the patient a new lease of life and transforms it for the better. Recently, a 15-year-old patient made news by becoming Asia's youngest recipient and the first in the world to successfully undergo a hand transplant surgery at the shoulder level. The procedure was performed using the hand of a young nine-year-old brain-dead donor from Surat. Read on to find out more about the case.
Hailing from Mumbai, the recipient, a teenager, lost her right hand in an electrocution incident in 2022. During a family trip to her hometown in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, the patient accidentally touched a live wire while playing with her cousins, which caused a severe electric shock and significant burns. Her right hand developed gangrene and had to be amputated thrice; her left arm was also severely injured with major wounds.
According to a statement made by Gleneagles Hospitals in Parel, Mumbai -- where the 12-hour-long historic surgery took place -- Dr Nilesh G Satbhai, head of plastic, hand and reconstructive microsurgery, and his team did a painstaking job to give the girl another chance at a good-quality life.
While she had her right arm amputated just below the shoulder level, the teenager is now on a road to recovery by regaining normal movements and function in the new arm. Naturally, she is stoked about the new developments and is also eager to return to school.
It was, however, not easy for her. She had to face hardships at a young age. But, instead of allowing the challenges to weigh her down or define her, she decided to be independent, learning to use her other hand to do most of her chores, including writing. Even after the accident, she returned to school so as to not pause her education. Refusing to give up on her dreams and showing immense strength and resilience, the girl scored 92 per cent in her class 10 examinations.
The loss of a limb, however, was always a concerning topic in her house, with her family continuing to look at all options to reach a conclusion. When hand transplantation emerged as the only suitable solution, they visited multiple hospitals across India, along with a few centers in Thailand and Singapore. When nothing worked out, they arrived at Gleneagles and consulted Dr Satbhai.
After undergoing a detailed preoperative workup, the patient -- Anamta Ahmad from Mumbai's Goregaon -- was listed for hand transplantation. After a wait of more than one year, the family was told about the availability of a hand donor.
"Hand transplant is a complex procedure requiring detailed assessment of the recipient," said Dr Satbhai in the hospital statement. He added that the primary injury often results in severe scarring of the skin, blood vessels and nerves.
"In transplantation at higher levels, bony fixation is a challenge. In this case, as the injury was almost at shoulder level, we had to repair the blood vessels and nerves under the clavicle (collar bone). This can be technically very challenging. The most important factor is to restore the circulation of the donor hands within 6 hours, so that it survives and functions well. The surgery required great teamwork of surgeons, anesthesiologists, immunologists, and intensive care physicians. The patient is recovering well. She will be on life-long immunosuppression, but her physiotherapy and rehabilitation will begin soon. It usually takes 9-12 months for functional recovery after such proximal transplants," the doctor explained.
