DURHAM, N.C.-- A 54-year-old man from Laredo, Texas, who lost his hand at 4 years old, now has a new one. That's thanks to doctors at Duke Health who performed the transplant on May 27.
It's the first hand transplant performed in North Carolina. The recipient, Rene Chavez, lost his dominant left hand when he reached into a meat grinder, and his brother accidently turned on the power.
Duke Health doctors say the transplant marks the inauguration of a clinical trial at Duke to determine the safety and efficacy of hand transplantation, and the efficacy of a new anti-rejection drug called belatacept.
“This is an exciting time for our patient, his family, and Duke,” said Linda Cendales, associate professor at Duke University School of Medicine and director of Duke's hand transplant program. “The patient is doing very well and is recovering from his surgery. He is excited about the possibilities that await him as he continues his rehabilitation.”
Chavez, was flown to Duke on May 26 after a deceased donor was identified as a match. A construction worker and automobile dealer, Chavez became one of fewer than 90 people worldwide who have received a transplanted hand.
“I am so grateful to the family of the donor and I want them to know I will do all I can to honor their loved one,” Chavez said, adding that he feels he has already had some sensation in the new limb.
He says, through the years, he learned to compensate, playing soccer and even riding motorcycles.
He told doctors he became determined to have a hand transplant after learning three years ago that the procedure was becoming more widely available with advances in surgical techniques and anti-rejection drugs. Chavez said he looks forward to relearning all that he taught himself to do without his hand – a process that will take months of intensive physical therapy sessions.
“I want to take the experience so people can see that you can overcome adversity if you strive for a goal,” Chavez said.
Duke is one of only about 10 hospitals in the U.S. that has performed a hand transplant. The surgery is difficult, involving an intricate process of connecting bone, blood vessels, muscle, nerve, tendons, and skin. Matching the limb from a deceased donor is also complex, as is the control of rejection, adding to the rarity of the procedure.
