Facial and hand allotransplantation

• Published in: Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine Vol. 4; no. 3; p. a015651
• Main Authors: Pomahac, Bohdan, Gobble, Ryan M, Schneeberger, Stefan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 01.03.2014
• Subjects: Composite Tissue Allografts - immunology; Composite Tissue Allografts - innervation; Composite Tissue Allografts - physiology; Facial Transplantation - adverse effects; Facial Transplantation - methods; Graft Rejection - etiology; Hand Transplantation - adverse effects; Hand Transplantation - methods; Humans; Immunosuppression - methods; Motor Neurons - physiology; Patient Satisfaction; Transplantation Immunology - physiology; Transplantation, Homologous - adverse effects; Transplantation, Homologous - methods; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 2157-1422; 2472-5412
• DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a015651

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.