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Review
. 2014 Mar 1;4(3):a015651.
doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a015651.

Facial and hand allotransplantation

Bohdan Pomahac  1 , Ryan M Gobble, Stefan Schneeberger
Affiliations
Review

Facial and hand allotransplantation

Bohdan Pomahac et al. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. .

Abstract

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.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
26-yr-old male 12 months postfacial allotransplantation at rest (A), and smiling (B).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
31-yr-old male 12 months postfacial allotransplantation at rest (A), and smiling (B) .
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
62-yr-old male 36 months postfacial allotransplantation at rest (A), and smiling (B).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
58-yr-old female 12 months postfacial allotransplantation at rest (A), and smiling (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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MeSH terms

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