Leeds hospital leads the way with hand transplants

Professor Simon Kay and his team as they perform the UK's first double hand transplant at Leeds General Infirmary, on patient Chris King, from Doncaster. Credit: Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
/PA Wire — Professor Simon Kay and his team as they perform the UK's first double hand transplant at Leeds General Infirmary, on patient Chris King, from Doncaster. Credit: Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust /PA Wire

A Yorkshire hospital has truly become a centre of excellence for hand transplantation after performing a second life-changing operation.

Chris King underwent the UK’s first double hand transplant, which was carried out at Leeds General Infirmary – the national specialist centre for the highly-complex surgery – earlier this month.

Patients from all over the country could undergo the procedure in Leeds as consultant plastic surgeon Professor Simon Kay and his team have already been chosen by NHS England to lead the way nationally.

The first single hand transplant in the UK took place in 2012 and “completely transformed” the life of recipient Mark Cahill.

Now it is hoped that the fact that the procedure becoming is more commonplace will encourage donations.

Prof Kay, who led a team of eight surgeons for the 12-hour operation on Mr King, said: “It’s the first time as far as I’m aware, that a hand transplant’s been done which hasn’t been above the wrist, which has been within the substance of the hand, which makes it much more difficult and more complex.

“As far as I know those are unique features.”

He added that 57-year-old Mr King, from Doncaster, was recovering well so far, and should eventually have movement and sensation in his donor hands.

“Everybody latches onto movement but, of course, it’s very important that he regains the feeling as well.

“And I would expect that he will regain very good movement and very good feeling.”

Mr King is the first patient to have undergone the procedure since Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was designated the UK’s specialist centre for hand transplants in April.

The NHS commissioning framework changed shortly after the first ever hand transplant was done, which “completely transformed” the life of Mark Cahill.