Hand Transplantation: Functional and Quality of Life Outcomes

Vascularized composite tissue allotransplantation (VCA) is the transplantation of multiple tissues containing skin, muscle, bone, joint, cartilage, nerve, tendon, vessels. VCA is useful for functional restoration of patients with severe tissue loss as encountered with massive burns, traumatic injuries, congenital anomalies, and following tumor resection. VCA, and specifically hand transplantation, combines the technical excellence of hand surgery/microsurgery with the complex multidisciplinary care rendered in modern solid organ transplantation. The technical demands of hand transplantation, enhanced donor antigen burden of the hand allograft, and complex psychosocial issues pertaining to the recipient account for much of the discrepancy between these 2 related fields. Detailed information will be collected from the patient medical records, including: Pre-operative screening, demographics, medications; surgical information ; post-operative inpatient and out-patient care; laboratory and other test results; physical assessments, psychological assessments and quality of life assessments. Specific outcomes will include allograft survival, allograft rejection, allograft functionality, and quality of life from transplant through 5 years.