A MEDICAL MILESTONE: The arm transplant in Kaohsiung was the fifth in the nation in the six years since the surgeries first started in Taiwan
Taipei Times
Date: Jan 05, 2020
By: Fang Chih-hsien and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital yesterday said that it has completed its third arm transplant.
Taiwanese surgeons began performing arm transplants in 2014 and to date has seen five cases of
A Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital surgical team poses in an undated photograph at the hospital after its third successful arm transplant.
Photo provided by Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital
The patients from the first two Kaohsiung transplants in 2014 and 2016 were recovering well, doctor Kuo Yao-jen (郭耀仁) told the Joint Conference of Medical personnel of Kaohsiung Municipal Hospital.
The first patient, who had injuries lower on the arm and had been without a hand for more than 30 years, has shown great progress in recovery and is now able to perform delicate actions, such as threading a needle or peeling shrimp, Kuo said.
The second patient was injured close to the elbow, but is now able to drive and use a cellphone with the transplanted forearm, Kuo added. [FULL STORY]
