A Second Hand.... Er, Hand
By robspeakman
@robspeakman (1700)
February 27, 2013 3:31pm CST
I was watching a documentary last night about Hand Transplants
I watched it and tried to be objective and understanding...
However - A hand being tranplanted onto another human is completely different to an organ transplant.
Apart from the fact that it is a visible transplant, with a likely different skin tone. There is also the massive scar and the lack of movement in the second hand limb. The transplanted hand will never function fully due to surgery limitations - not every nerve and blood vessel will be reattached.
There is a Frankenstein element to this type of procedure - It would appear that rather than advancing in surgery, we appear to be going backwards. Doctors and Scientist believe that the future of body regeneration lies in STEM CELL RESEARCH and CLONING
I don't wish to appear unfeeling and unsympathetic to a person's needs.
In my opinion I feel this is a procedure to far.
What do you think?
If I was in the same position, would I think the same?
I don't know. I do not think I would elect to have this operation.
3 people like this
11 responses
@blackrusty (3519)
• Mexico
27 Feb 13
well what it sounds like is anything for a buck you know that that kind of surgery is going to come at a cost and some one is going to willing to pay the price well for my self if i loose a body part then so be it I dont want another persons body part attached to my body
@robspeakman (1700)
•
27 Feb 13
This is a free procedure in the UK.
I think as of now, there has only been one hand transplant in the UK - I believe.
I also believe that there is only one hospital in the UK currnetly doing the operation
@blackrusty (3519)
• Mexico
27 Feb 13
I think every thing is free in the uk as I keep hearing its free its free and that is all I see is uk must be nice to have every thing just handed to you think I need to move
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
27 Feb 13
The first thing that comes to mind that it would be a lot of pain to go through with the outcome being limted hand use. I honestly don't know what I would do if put into this situation. Maybe a protheseis if it had more movement. People may contemplate surgery for cosmetic reasons though. To be honest - I do n ot think that I would or could go through this type of surgery. Each time I looked at the hand I would wonder about the original owner. Not sure that I could cope with that.
2 people like this
@robspeakman (1700)
•
27 Feb 13
I did think about it before posting.
I also weighed up both sides of it.
Lets not forget that plastic surgery started to repair disfiguring burns in WW2... Now look what they do to themselves.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
27 Feb 13
Exactly. I have GF's my age who rush to get the first wrinkle filled. Like it is something to be ashamed of not a natural process.
1 person likes this
@GreenMoo (11834)
•
28 Feb 13
I think it's great that doctors can do amazing things, but I don't necessarily think that they should! Like you, I'm not sure that this is a procedure I'd welcome myself although it's of course terribly difficult to know without being in that situation.
1 person likes this
@robspeakman (1700)
•
28 Feb 13
There is always the "In that situation" factor.
I still think it is a step backwards to be honest
@savypat (20216)
• United States
28 Feb 13
If I were going to be part of a study or in some other way could help others by doing this I might. After all athe use of a fake hand is pretty well studied and of course if the transplant didn't work well enough to keep it you could fall back to the false one. Saying all that I would agree if the price was right.
1 person likes this
@robspeakman (1700)
•
28 Feb 13
If I remember correctly, I believe an American had his transplanted hand removed after about 2 years because he could not adjust
@marguicha (223297)
• Chile
28 Feb 13
Those kind of things are the ones where I can`t imagine how I`d feel if the situation arose. I have heard of people who had another person`s hand implanted and they had it removed. But I also saw on TV that there were people that felt that theirvown limbs should be removed. I saw that on TV and the man went to a country where they removed his good leg. I would not stay married to that freak
. I don`t think that there`s so much emocional thing into having a transplant. But if that happpened to me I don`t know if I would change my mind. I would probably see what were the good and bad point with that instead of a prosthetic hand. As for the Frankenstein ideas, I guess that nowadays we all have some scars that did not come with us at the beginning
. I don`t think that there`s so much emocional thing into having a transplant. But if that happpened to me I don`t know if I would change my mind. I would probably see what were the good and bad point with that instead of a prosthetic hand. As for the Frankenstein ideas, I guess that nowadays we all have some scars that did not come with us at the beginning
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
28 Feb 13
I have seen a documentary about it, and maybe that was exactly the show that you've seen. Anyway, I do agree with your views. The hand transplant merely satisfies aesthetics and knowing that not all nerves and blood vessels can be possibly re-attached, so the limited movement of the hand might not be even enough to make a grasp. So what's the use?
1 person likes this
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
28 Feb 13
Ugh. That reminds me of a Criminal Minds episode where this dude cuts off this guys leg and then sews another mans leg to him. 
No thanks. I'll take my robot hand.
No thanks. I'll take my robot hand.@robspeakman (1700)
•
28 Feb 13
If you look at the advancements in technology over the last 10 years, who is to say how good prosthetics will be in 5 or 10 years
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
2 Mar 13
It is very Frankenstein really. They are working on stem cell regeneration of organs. And I think that is the way to go. But just sewing on a hand, well, thats just crude. Maybe the hand will have a personality all its own. LOL.
@prashsweet15 (91)
• India
28 Feb 13
Ithink this sounds a bit creepy ,but so does seeing an amputated limb .It has to be the individuals choice ,one cannot be completely right or completely wrong .
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
27 Feb 13
Sounds to me like those uk guys, are all smoking some good stuff there. Id never go through this.
@randomarts09 (1405)
• Indonesia
3 Mar 13
I think some kind of nerve limitation and the difference of skin tone is pretty fine if compared for the limitation for not having a hand. But I honestly will think about having somebody hand attached to my body. I feel there's something creepy there. I can't help but thinking about the original owner after all.
