German farmer receives double arm transplant

Discussion in 'General Science & Technology' started by cosmictraveler, Aug 2, 2008.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    33,264
    MUNICH, Germany (AP) _ A German farmer who lost both his arms in an accident has been successfully fitted with two new limbs in what is believed to be the first complete double arm transplant, his surgeons said Friday.

    Reiner Gradinger, medical director at the Munich University Clinic, said doctors spent 15 hours on July 25-26 grafting the arms onto the body of a 54-year-old man who had lost his just below the shoulder in the accident six years ago.

    "The reattachment appears up to now to have proceeded optimally," Gradinger said, adding the patient is recovering well.

    In London, Keith Rigg, vice president of the British Transplantation Society, told The Associated Press that he believes the operation was the world's first double arm transplant.

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-ap-germany-arms-transplant,0,3865879.story
     
  2. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    25,817
    I'm such a hypocrite. I have no problem with organ transplants, but this seems like Frankenstein to me. I suppose because its fairly new and daring. I'll get used to it.
    I hope he does better than the first hand transplant guy did.
     
  4. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    33,264
    If we don't keep trying we will never succeed.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  6. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    He won't have feeling in his arms though..
     
  8. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    25,817
    The guy who got the hand transplant did. He had feeling and function. Why wouldn't the arm guy? What would be the purpose of getting arms that have no function. Prosthetic arms would be more useful.
     
  9. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    33,264
    From the article:

    "The patient cannot move his new arms yet. Doctors hope his network of nerves will expand at a pace of around one millimeter (.04 inches) per day. Even in that best-case scenario for growth, it could take two years before he might be able to manipulate his new hands without assistance, they said.

    "The regeneration process will take a long time," said Hans-Guenther Machens, director of hand and plastic surgery at the clinic"
     
  10. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    That would mean they can reconnect the nerves.. I didn't know they advanced this far already.
     
  11. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    Ah ok.

    How are they pulling that off ? The nerve growth I mean..
     
  12. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    33,264
    Perhaps they used:

    "Nerve growth factor (NGF), is a small secreted protein which induces the differentiation and survival of particular target neurons (nerve cells). It is perhaps the prototypical growth factor, in that it is one of the first to be described - that work by Rita Levi-Montalcini and Stanley Cohen was rewarded with a Nobel Prize."


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerve_growth_factor
     
  13. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    Yea, but I understand the results are still minimal.

    And what are they doing to "guide" the nerves ?
     
  14. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    33,264
    I don't know, perhaps you could investigate that with the author of the article?
     
  15. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    25,817
  16. Orbit A Service to the Blind. Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    199
    Is NGF possible to synthesise though? I wouldn't have thought so if it is a very complex protein... Unless they harvest it from somewhere.

    Would it be possible to do nerve grafting? Nerves regenerate themselves If cut off, so maybe grafting pig nerves or something in there could work?
    I just think its amazing how you can put someone elses arm on there! I mean... think of all the little blood vessels and stuff. Modern medicine is truly astounding sometimes.
     
  17. Zephyr Humans are ONE Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,371
    We can regenerate nerves now? Wow. Although, a cyborg arm could be even better.
     
  18. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,049
    why didnt they stich the nervs together like they do in a thumb transplant?

    or are they only able to do that because there is only one set of nervs when you get down to the indervidual fingers
     
  19. Diode-Man Awesome User Title Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,372
    Strange but excellent work.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page