title: Standardizing skin biopsy sampling to assess rejection in vascularized composite allotransplantation.
abstract: Over 70 hands and 20 faces have been transplanted during the past 13 yr, which have shown good to excellent functional and esthetic outcomes. However, (skin) rejection episodes complicate the post-operative courses of hand and face transplant recipients and are still a major obstacle to overcome after reconstructive allotransplantation. This article summarizes all relevant information on the skin component and rejection of a vascularized composite allograft. As more and more centers plan to implement a vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) program, we further develop guidelines and recommendations on collection and processing of skin biopsies from hand and face allograft recipients. This will help to standardize post-operative monitoring, avoid pitfalls for those new in the field and facilitate comparison of data on VCA between centers.
authors: Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Center for Operative Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors: Theresa
authors: T
authors: Hautz
authors: Bettina G
authors: BG
authors: Zelger
authors: Annemarie
authors: A
authors: Weissenbacher
authors: Bernhard
authors: B
authors: Zelger
authors: Gerald
authors: G
authors: Brandacher
authors: Luis
authors: L
authors: Landin
authors: Emmanuel
authors: E
authors: Morelon
authors: Jean
authors: J
authors: Kanitakis
authors: Jerzy
authors: J
authors: Jablecki
authors: W P Andrew
authors: WP
authors: Lee
authors: Johann
authors: J
authors: Pratschke
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Schneeberger
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D054445:Facial Transplantation; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000473:pathology*; D063987:Hand Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology