A 45-year-old man, who lost his upper limbs in a train accident, underwent a bilateral hand transplant at a private hospital in Delhi. Raj Kumar, a painter from Nangloi, was discharged from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after nearly six weeks.
He lost control of his bicycle while crossing tracks near his house, leading to the accident. Dr. Mahesh Mangal, Chairman of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, stated Kumar became reliant on others for daily tasks.
Kumar’s only options were either the use of prosthetics or hand transplant. He began using prosthetics but his prosthetic trail was unsuccessful and his only hope was a hand transplant, he said.
But at that time, no centre in north India had the permission to perform a hand transplant.
In February 2023, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital,became the first hospital in north India to receive permission to perform hand transplant, said the senior doctor.
“When we were looking for potential candidates for hand transplant, Kumar was on our waiting list. As per transplant protocols, detailed examination and necessary investigations were done. In third week of January, a glimmer of optimism emerged for Raj Kumar when he got a call from the hospital,” the doctor said.
The family members of a retired vice-principal of a school in Delhi expressed their wish to donate her organs after her death.
On January 19, a team of surgeons collaborated to execute the intricate procedure, delicately reattaching various components bones, arteries, veins, tendons, muscles, nerves, and skin.
Precision and expertise were the key, ensuring the seamless integration of the transplanted hands into Raj Kumar’s body, Mangal said.