US Man Receives Double Hand Transplant; Kingston, New York Medical Malpractice Attorney Applauds Procedure

In 2002, an infection resulted in the loss of Richard Mangino’s arms below the elbows and his lower legs. But after enduring a twelve hour operation, the 65 year old man got donated hands attached. The forty person surgical team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston completed the procedure. That hospital is best known for their remarkable work with face transplants.

This was not the first double hand transplant, as twenty-one others had been done around the world with the very first done in Lyon, France in 2000. The procedure involves a painstaking amount of skill, patience, and accuracy to reconnect skin, tendons, muscles, ligaments, bones, and blood vessels.

Up until now, Mr. Mangino has been using prosthetic limbs to regain a normal life. However, he is elated to regain the feeling of touch. Particularly his grandchild to touch their little faces, play with their hair, and teach them many things like throwing a ball or possibility down the line play guitar like he had done with the prosthetics.

As of late, it appears that there has been a wealth of information regarding technological advances and medical working together. Granted, that this procedure was first done in 2000 and it can hardly be considered a major technological advancement today, I’m sure that some of the new surgical tools that were used made the surgery much cleaner, easier, and faster then was done eleven years ago. Moreover, just the amazing prospect of taking someone else’s hands that were donated, and attaching it to another person’s body to make them whole again is just simply astonishing.

As for medical malpractice purposes, this is a very difficult procedure with such a low rate of success and high risk. It would be very difficult to find liability if the double hand transplant failed. However, if that failure did result from something that could have been avoided or some protocol, guidelines, procedure, etc, that may give rise to liability. Particularly if the issue was due to infection, a wrongful discharge, incorrect medication administered, or something like that, it could create liability.

But what do you think? I would love to hear from you! I welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@fishermalpracticelaw.com . You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.