Hand Transplants

First hand transplant

1964

First documented hand transplant done by surgeons from Ecuador in 1964.

Electric prosthetic hand

1971

The electric prosthetic hand was developed by Helmut Lucas, and was controlled by cords attached to the arm.

First human hand transplant

1998

In September 1998 a patient (Clint Hallam, 48)  had the first human hand transplant, it was initially successful, but then his tissue rejected the transplanted hand and they had to amputate the patient’s hand.

Long term hand transplant

1999

In around 1999 long term hand graft solutions were developed. Studies of the patients who had been operated on showed that there was initial rejection of the hand transplants, but it was managed when they altered the patient’s postoperative immunosuppressive regimen, which helped the patient’s immune system adapt quickly to the foreign hand transplant.

Electronic hand

2013

A patient called Chris Taylor received a bionic hand which had electrically powered fingers and was the first man in Britain to have this invention transplanted on him.

Nerve control

2015

February 2015, Austrian patient uses nerves to control his transplanted hand.

First military person to get a hand transplant

2016

August 2016, Sergeant Peck was the first military person to have this type of hand transplant, and he briefly rejected the tissue, but then that was resolved with anti-rejection medication.