Harvesting the Hand

Abstract

Harvesting a hand from a brain-dead donor means first of all that for some time, a team of surgeons have been on call waiting for the right donor. When finally there is a possible donor, especially if he or she is located far away from the hand transplantation unit, time is extremely important. No delays in preparing the necessary instruments and materials are acceptable. In our unit, we have a ready backpack containing what we need to face any possible scenario once we reach the intensive care unit where the donor is located. By having its own materials and instruments, the team is self-sufficient, and no request for materials or instruments are necessary once at the donor’s place. Due to the characteristics of our country and the heavy traffic that can be expected on the major highways, we have a helicopter at our disposal.