NEW DELHI: Amrita Hospital in Faridabad has etched history by successfully performing North India’s first-ever hand transplantations. The complex surgeries, lasting around 17 hours each, were carried out in late December 2023, marking a significant leap forward in the realm of medical science.
This feat included the hand transplants of Gautam Tayal, a 64-year-old from Delhi, and 19-year-old Devansh Gupta, both facing life-altering challenges due to limb loss.
What sets these surgeries apart is that they not only represent a first in North India but also signify a global rarity. This marks the second case worldwide where a kidney-transplant recipient has undergone a hand transplant, elevating the significance of Amrita Hospital’s success.
Gautam Tayal, a kidney-transplant recipient, lost his left hand in an industrial accident two years ago. The transplanted hand, sourced from a 40-year-old donor, arrived from Thane, near Mumbai.
Dr. Mohit Sharma, Head of the Centre for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Amrita Hospital, highlighted the intricacies of the procedure, “To achieve union of the two hands, we had to join two bones, two arteries, 25 tendons and 5 nerves.
The patient is doing well in the post-operative period and his hand movements are in recovery. He will be discharged within a week.”
Expressing his gratitude, Tayal shared, “This hand transplant has gifted me a new lease of life. I am so happy and grateful that God, and Amrita doctors, have given me a second chance to live my life to the full.”
The second recipient, Devansh Gupta, a 19-year-old who lost both upper limbs and the right lower limb in a train accident three years ago, received a pair of hands from a 33-year-old donor in Surat.
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Dr. Anil Murarka, Senior Consultant at the Centre for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, noted the challenges, emphasising, “The higher the level of amputation, the more challenging the hand transplant becomes.” Gupta expressed his joy, stating, ” When I lost both my hands at such a young age, I couldn’t come to terms with reality. God has finally answered my prayers.”
The triumph of these surgeries stems from the collaboration among specialists in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Anesthesiology, Orthopaedics, Nephrology, Pathology, and Physical Medicine.
Dr. Shikha Gupta, Dr. Devajyoti Guin, Dr. Srilekha Reddy, Dr. Vasundhra Jain, and Dr. Arun Sharma, consultants in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, played key roles.
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The Anesthesiology Department, led by Dr. Mukul Kapoor, managed the patients throughout the procedures, with Orthopaedic surgeons Dr. Mrinal Sharma and Dr. Priyadarshi Amit ensuring limb stability.
In Nephrology, Dr. Zacharia Paul, Dr. Urmila Anand, and Dr. Kunal Gandhi managed crucial immunosuppression, while the Pathology Department, led by Dr. Gaurav and Dr. Arruparrna Sen Gupta, handled limb rejection diagnoses.
The Physical Medicine Department, under Dr. Ansar Ul Haq, oversaw patient rehabilitation post-transplantation.