Arm transplant ?

[tigga]

Is it possible to have an arm transplanted onto someone else as with organ donor operations ?

[smudge]

I actually watched an arm transplant on the Discovery channel some time back. The operation took place in America. It was successful & showed the recipient playing with his children afterwards, so it was a happy ending - ah!

[londondave]

The man who had it done has actually had it removed! The reason was because it was to expensive in the pills and medicine he had to take for life afterwards amounted to thousands of dollars. Otherwise he said it worked fine

[smudge]

Typical, it must have been another 'old' repeat then londondave! So he didn't live happily ever after then, poor man.

[rinkytink]

Yes it is - check this out:

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/06/1046826473639.html?oneclick=true

Although in many cases the body does reject the new limbs after a while. Also there are several cases where the recipients of new limbs have asked for them to be removed again as they never got used to them.

[bernardo]

There have been some hand transplants, but mostly unsuccessful.

[smudge]

Tried that rinkytink, but is says you have to register! Is there somewhere else you can read up on it then?

[punkmuppet]

Yeah I saw a program about a guy who got a new hand and he hated it, it creeped him out because it was someone else's hand, and he never got used to seeing someone else's hand there. I don't know if that's the same guy that got it removed, but this was just from the wrist, not a whole arm.

[tigga]

Thanks very much for all your answers, the link was particularly interesting, now i know its possible i can look further into it. (for a friend of mine) although all our friends will be happy to donate if we ever pop off, the lad in question will probably jump staight back on a motorbike - lol.