Facial and hand allotransplantation.
Vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) is a novel therapeutic option for treatment of patients suffering from limb loss or severe facial disfigurement. To date, 72 hand and 19 facial transplantations have been performed worldwide. VCA in hand and facial transplantation is a complex procedure requiring a multidisciplinary team approach and extensive surgical planning. Despite good functional outcome, courses after hand and facial transplantation have been complicated by skin rejection. Long-term immunosuppression remains a necessity in VCA for allograft survival. To widen the scope of these quality-of-life-improving procedures, minimization of immunosuppression to limit risks and side effects is needed.
Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Bohdan
B
Pomahac
Ryan M
RM
Gobble
Stefan
S
Schneeberger
D064595:Composite Tissue Allografts / Q000276:immunology / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D054445:Facial Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000209:etiology; D063987:Hand Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D014181:Transplantation Immunology / Q000502:physiology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome