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ISVCA Webinar Presentation
0.1 - Hand Transplants – Current Status and Future Prospects
Presenter: Mohit Sharma, David Leonard, Selva Seetharaman, , ,
Authors: Mohit Sharma, David Leonard, Selva Seetharaman, Subramania Iyer, Vinita Puri, Emmanuel Morelon, Cheng-Hung Lin, Martin Iglesias, Scott Levin, Vijay Gorantla, Hatem Amer, Patrik Lassus
Participants
Moderator
Bio
Associate Professor of Medicine
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Dr. Amer is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and holds joint appointments as a consultant transplant nephrologist in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension (where he is also the Research Chair), and the William J von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration. Dr Amer is the Associate Center Director for Quality and Compliance and the founding and current Medical Director of the Reconstructive Transplant Surgery Program, and previously served as the Renal Transplant Fellowship Director, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN.
He is the Past-President of the International Society of Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (ISVCA), a Past Chair of the American Society of Transplantation-VCA Advisory Council and serves as a member of the Chauvet Workgroup Steering Committee.
Moderator
Bio
Assistant Professor
Head of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
Patrik Lassus is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon from Helsinki. His present appointment is the head of the Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland.
His main clinical focus since 2008 has been in facial and head&neck reconstructive surgery and esthetic facial surgery. He is the leader of the Finnish facial allotransplant program and he performed the first Finnish face transplant in 2016 and the second in 2018.
He became a docent in 2007 and his research focuses in reconstructive facial and head and neck surgery. The other arm in his research is focused in facial allotransplantation. He has published 50 peer reviewed articles and written chapters in 2 surgical books.
Panel Moderator
Bio
Paul B. Magnuson Professor of Bone and Joint Surgery
Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
L. Scott Levin, MD, FACS, is the Paul B. Magnuson Professor of Bone and Joint Surgery, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery). He is also the Medical Director of the Penn Musculoskeletal and Rheumatology Service Line. Dr. Levin is Board-certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and has a Certificate of added Qualification in hand surgery. In addition, he is Board-certified in Plastic Surgery, and is responsible for developing the field of “Orthoplastic Surgery.”
As an accomplished clinician, his expertise focuses on surgery of the hand and upper extremity, reconstructive microsurgical techniques for extremity reconstruction and limb salvage. His research interests focus predominantly on extremity soft tissue reconstruction and vascularized composite allotransplantation.
Widely published with more than 350 peer-reviewed journal articles, 85 book chapters and 11 books, Dr. Levin also actively participates in senior leadership activities of many international and national professional societies and associations and has received numerous awards for his commitment to teaching.
Panel Moderator
Bio
Professor of Surgery, Director, Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation
Department of Surgery
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Dr. Gorantla is a tenured professor of surgery at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. He is the director of the Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) Program at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. His research interests include biosensors and biosensing techniques, cellular therapies, nanomedicine, organ transplantations, reconstructive surgeries, regenerative medicine and its applications in transplantation and regenerative pharmacology. Additionally, he studies the relationship between the immune system and the regenerative, oncogenic and autoimmune processes. Dr. Gorantla was a principal and co-principal investigator on several military-funded grants supporting translational and clinical trials in hand transplantation and whole eyeball transplantation. Dr. Gorantla was a key member of the team that performed the nation’s first hand transplant at the University of Louisville in 1999. He served for 11 years as the director of the VCA Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and as the director of the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Hand Transplant Program. Dr. Gorantla co-directed the nation’s first clinical trial for hand transplantation, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, which completed 8 transplants in 5 patients, including the nation’s first bilateral and full forearm transplants.
He co-founded the first national society for VCA, the American Society for Reconstructive Transplantation (ASRT). Dr. Gorantla has authored more than 100 scientific papers and 15 book chapters in the field of VCA and is currently co-editing a comprehensive book on the subject of regenerative surgery.
Opening Remarks
Bio
Head of Department, Professor - Head & Neck Surgery
Amrita Hospital, Kochi
Dr. Subramania Iyer is a senior consultant plastic surgeon working at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi, India. His particular interests include head and neck reconstruction, microvascular surgery, ear reconstruction, facial reanimation, rhinoplasty, vascular malformations, tissue engineering, and surgical training.
Dr. Subramania Iyer is a surgical innovator and expert with over four decades of experience. His expertise in the field is outstanding, having methodically completed over 40,000 major surgical procedures and over 6,000 free flap surgeries.
Dr. Iyer’s accomplishments include establishing first-hand transplants in the country and leading the centre with the highest number of composite tissue allotransplants globally, demonstrating his innovative efforts.
Dr. Iyer’s main areas of interest include head and neck cancer surgery, secondary reconstruction, laryngeal reinnervation, and innovative techniques such as laser and robotic surgery, where he continues to push the limits of medical advancement.
His contributions to medical training are groundbreaking, having established the first three-year organized training program in head and neck surgery oncology, as well as India’s first and only master’s training program in deglutology and swallowing therapy.
Speaker
Bio
Professor and Head, Centre for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Amrita Hospital, Faridabad
Dr. Mohit Sharma is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon adept in application of microvascular techniques for solving complex reconstructive problems. After completing his specialisation in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery from Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi in 2002, he has been serving at Amrita Hospital, Kochi since last 20 years.
His team is well known for starting the first Vascularised Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) programme in India in the year 2015 and has acquired one of the largest body of experience for any single centre in the world in the field of Hand Transplantation.
He has done Clinical Fellowships in Burns and Hand Surgery from St. Andrew’s Centre for Plastic Surgery, which is the largest burns unit and one of the biggest reconstructive surgery units in the UK.
He has observed and trained extensively with various leaders in the field of reconstructive plastic surgery.
He is the reviewer for various international journals as well as the Indian journal of Plastic Surgery.
His passion is to create high quality videos in the field of reconstructive surgery for the training of reconstructive surgeons.
Speaker
Bio
David A. Leonard, BSc (Hons), MBChB,
MRCS, PhD, FRCS (Plast)
Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive & Hand Surgeon
Department of Plastic, Hand & Reconstructive Surgery
Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust
Dr. David Leonard is a Consultant Reconstructive Plastic & Hand Surgeon whose NHS practice is based at Leeds General Infirmary.
Dr. Leonard offers expertise in complex limb reconstruction, including surgery for amputees, nerve injuries, and hand conditions. He is a core member of the UK Hand and Upper Limb Transplant Service, contributing to pioneering care for patients undergoing limb transplantation. He is committed to delivering personalised, evidence-based care to help restore function, independence, and quality of life.
longside his clinical practice, Dr. Leonard leads an active research career focused on transplant tolerance, reconstructive transplantation and nerve surgery ensuring his patients benefit from the latest advances.
He is a Deputy Editor of the Journal of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, and serves on the Council of the International Society of Vascularised Composite Allotransplantation.
Speaker
Bio
Department Head & Senior Consultant
Plastic, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery
Gleneagles Hospitals, Chennai
Dr S Selva SeethaRaman, is a Plastic, Reconstructive, Hand & Microvascular surgeon with an experience of more than 15 years. He has completed his M.Ch. degree in Plastic Surgery at the Prestigious Stanley Medical College, Chennai. He also completed his intercollegiate degree of Royal college and a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS), Edinburgh, UK. Dr Selva is a passionate and enthusiastic Surgeon and uses his skills as an artist and a surgeon to help patients to reconstruct their features as natural as possible.
The art of enhancing the beauty, the skill to manage the tissue loss, and the innovative techniques of reconstructing are the few skill sets that attracted him to this speciality. Further, the joy of managing the birth defects of children and alleviating the pain of burn patients turned his passion toward this specialisation.
r S Selva SeethaRaman has obtained his Fellowship in Cancer Reconstruction & Microsurgery Surgery (Onco-reconstruction) at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai – the largest cancer center in India. His interest in Medical Law and Administration, has enabled him to complete post graduate Diploma in Medicolegal Systems and Health& Hospital Administration (PGDMLS & PGDHHM). He is also a faculty for microvascular training at Ethicon Institute for Surgical Education (EISE).
Dr S Selva SeethaRaman is a skilled Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon, who with his surgical prowess and innovative techniques has been recognized nationally and internationally by his patients and his peers. His passion and dedication to the specialty compliments his complete, holistic and personalized care for all his patients. He has been invited for delivering lectures in many National & International Forums.
He is also the founding trustee of Selva Sakthi Medical trust through which he executes his vision of providing free surgery and treatment to the underprivileged and deserving in the remote areas of the state.
Panelist
Bio
Professor and Head, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department
KEM Hospital, Mumbai
Dr. Vinita Puri is a true humanitarian. She is a professor and the head of the plastic and reconstructive surgery department at KEM hospital in Mumbai, India, and has been a proud Resurge Surgical Outreach Partner for more than seven years. Dr. Puri has dedicated her life and career to caring for patients with low incomes, in particular, women and children who have survived burn injuries. Dr. Puri’s compassion for her patients drives her to provide holistic care to those who need it most.
Panelist
Bio
Professor, CHU de Lyon - Groupement Hospitalier Edouard Herriot
Panelist
Bio
Director, Clinical Trial for Face Allotransplantation
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
Dr. Lin’s clinical practice and academic pursue focus on extremity reconstructions and clinical applications of microsurgery. He not only has extensive experiences in clinical practices, but also makes innovations to improve the surgical outcomes. For example, Dr. Lin utilized the concept of perforator flaps for extremity reconstructions, converting free flap options to regional flap reconstruction, thus reducing days of hospital stay and overall cost to the patients. He has currently published 6 articles related to extremity reconstructions with pedicled perforator flaps either as the first author or as the corresponding author. In addition, he has been invited to numerous prestigious conferences as a keynote speaker around the world.
Dr. Lin based his practice of extremity reconstruction on his strict adherence to the ultimate principle of reconstructive surgery; he strongly believes a good reconstructive surgery should consist of achieving satisfactory outcomes in both functions and aesthetics. This belief landed him with “Best Reconstruction Option of the Year Award” in Annual Congress of Taiwan Society of Plastic Surgery in 2012. He is now the Chief of Division of Trauma and Emergency Surgery and holds regular meetings with Orthopedic Unit for difficult case discussions. Through this cross-unit collaboration, he aims to improve the efficacy and management quality for trauma patients who are in need for extremity reconstructions.
In the field of Hand Surgery, Dr. Lin is trained to reconstruct the broad spectrum of hand defects with particular interest in nail deformity and thumb/finger amputation reconstruction (toe-to-hand transfer). His passion in hand surgery is evident by his published articles in various international surgical journals and has earned him with “Best Salvage in the Hand Award” in Annual Congress of Taiwan Society for Surgery of the Hand in 2013. In addition to mainstream hand defect reconstructions, Dr. Lin is also in charge of researches in Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation, and has successfully accomplished the first bilateral forearm transplantation and the first arm transplantation in Taiwan.
In the field of Infantile Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Dr. Lin integrated a multi-disciplined team, including pediatric oncologist, radiologist and pathologist, for treatment of this kind of rare sarcomas. In contrast to limb amputation, a very delicate surgical technique is requisite for limb-preserving tumor excision. The surgeons, who are in charge of this field, must have extensive experiences in microsurgery and limb reconstruction for complete resection of the tumor, preservation of the vital neurovascular structure and maybe immediate reconstruction.
Microsurgery is the essence in both extremity reconstruction and hand surgery. Microsurgery is a long operation that takes 8-10 hours on average. It is a challenging operation, yet the most effective and powerful reconstructive tool. With the development of microsurgery, it has saved countless patients from their faith of inevitable amputations. It restores the limb and reconstructs the path for its functional recovery. Teamwork, brainstorming and mature surgical techniques are keys to successful microsurgery. Dr. Lin was nurtured in the most prestigious Microsurgery Center in the world and mentored by the most distinguished Microsurgery Master of our time. He is now leading a strong microsurgical extremity reconstruction team for the management of patients with traumatic injuries. Together, they are now treating up to 100 patients per year who presented with challenging extremity defects needing microsurgical reconstruction. Dr. Lin is the current executive director of Taiwan Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery and was awarded “Best Paper Award” in Annual Scientific Meeting of Taiwan Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery in 2015 and 2019. Because of his brilliant achievements and long-lasting works in Reconstructive Microsurgery, Dr. Lin was elected as the inaugural Fu-Chan Wei Young Microsurgeon Lecture Awardee in Annual Scientific Meeting of Taiwan Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery in 2017.
Panelist
Bio
Plastic Surgeon, Reconstructive Aesthetics and Reconstructive Microsurgery
Hospital Angeles Pedregal, Mexico City
Dr. Iglesias started the Vascularized Composite Tissue Transplant program in Mexico, since 2005. He has worked to include upper extremity and face transplantation in the General Health Law in Mexico. He is a professor of the Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators for Transplantation course.
Dr. Iglesias performed and coordinated the first bilateral forearm transplant in Mexico and Latin America in 2012. His team performed the first arm transplant in the world, including the glenohumeral joint, in 2015. Dr. Igelesias is coordinator of the VCA Subcommittee of the Diomed Hospital. He fulfills all the highest academic appointments in Mexico as he is a member of the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico, of the Mexican Academy of Surgery, and is a Type II researcher of the National System of Researchers of Mexico.
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Address
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