Successful Hand Transplant
A 30-year-old Afghan military captain from Kandahar, who lost his hands while defusing mines in the war-torn country, now has two Indian hands - thanks to a successful transplant carried out an institute in Kochi.
Abdul Rahim lost both his hands during demining operations in Kandahar three years ago.
"Rahim has regained considerable amount of function of both his hands using them for day-to-day activities. He will need intensive physiotherapy for another 9 to 10 months, for which he will have to stay back in Kochi," said Subramania Iyer, Professor and Head of the Plastic Surgery department.
"Each hand required connecting two bones, two arteries, four veins and about 14 tendons. The immune suppressant drugs were started before the start of the surgery and continued after it," he said.
Prem Nair, Medical Director of Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre said, the family of the accident victim was counselled for the donation and they agreed after confirming that the hands will be replaced by prosthetic limbs to reduce deformity of the dead.
The hospital authorities claimed the second successful double hands transplant carried out at AIMS is yet another milestone in organ transplant in the country.
The first such transplant in the country was also done four months ago at the Kochi-based hospital and the recipient, 30-year-old Manu is progressing extremely well, doing all routine activities, they said.
