quad amputee gets two new arms from donor

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - quad amputee gets two new arms from donor (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 11/26/2014 12:37:59 PM EDT

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/11/26/will-lautzenheiser-has-successful-double-arm-transplant-brigham-and-women-hospital/HN36G2HKIIeNxbdz3VeU3J/story.html

...More than three years after a life-threatening infection forced doctors to amputate his arms and legs, Lautzenheiser revealed publicly Tuesday that he recently underwent a successful double arm transplant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The 40-year-old filmmaker and comedian, who graduated from Boston University and now lives in Brookline, was approved for the surgery in June and placed on a waiting list.

During a press conference, Brigham officials declined to reveal the date of Lautzenheiser’s operation to protect the identity of his donor, whose parents have requested anonymity.

While speaking to reporters, Lautzenheiser slowly lifted his left arm, which had been amputated above the elbow, and he could slightly bend the new joint. His fingers peeked out of a white brace, and the smooth skin of his new forearm was visible below bandages. The movement was tiny, but Lautzenheiser was thrilled. “I had nothing before,’’ he said. “I can move my elbow. It’s astonishing.’’

While Brigham surgeons previously had performed double arm transplants on two patients, they had never done one so high on the arm, making Lautzenheiser’s surgery more complicated. Because of the extent of the amputation, it is unclear how much function Lautzenheiser will eventually gain in his new left arm and hand.

His right arm was amputated below the elbow, and doctors are confident Lautzenheiser will end up with good movement and feeling on that side. Already, he can flex his right thumb and wrist a bit. He can’t grip silverware, but a special spoon straps to his wrist, which he can lift...

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Posted: 11/26/2014 12:41:58 PM EDT

[#1]

That's really cool. I was kind of hoping his arms would be a different color though.

Posted: 11/26/2014 12:43:16 PM EDT

[#2]

Amazing and about time. Now we need some body parts mixing. White guy with a black arm, or vice versa.

Posted: 11/26/2014 12:43:52 PM EDT

[#3]

Good for him.

Would be kind of weird to look down at your hand and realize that someone else had used it to masturbate though.

Posted: 11/26/2014 12:44:35 PM EDT

[#4]

Well that's not something you see every day.

Posted: 11/26/2014 12:45:41 PM EDT

[#5]

Is it just me or did anyone else wonder "this means that somewhere a guy has been buried without any arms"

Posted: 11/26/2014 12:46:03 PM EDT

[#6]

baffling, almost as cool as growing back entire limbs that i recently read about.

Posted: 11/26/2014 12:47:59 PM EDT

[#7]

Agent Franks, is that you?

It's amazing what modern medicine can do.

Posted: 11/26/2014 12:49:42 PM EDT

[#8]

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Quoted:
Good for him.

Would be kind of weird to look down at your hand and realize that someone else had used it to masturbate though.

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That will have some people rethinking their Anatomical Donor choices.

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:01:16 PM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
Good for him.

Would be kind of weird to look down at your hand and realize that someone else had used it to masturbate though.

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Did it say if they were dude arms?

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:04:21 PM EDT

[#10]

They can already regrow limbs. I wonder why they are still bothering with transplants.

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:04:34 PM EDT

[#11]

I hope the donor was not a criminal, Fingerprints of a felon ?

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:06:37 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Good for him.

Would be kind of weird to look down at your hand and realize that someone else had used it to masturbate though.

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new version of the "stranger"

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:09:08 PM EDT

[#13]

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Quoted:
That's really cool. I was kind of hoping his arms would be a different color though.

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Posted: 11/26/2014 1:10:22 PM EDT

[#14]

Least Favorite Book: "A Farewell to Arms"

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:10:36 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:

That's really cool. I was kind of hoping his arms would be a different color though.

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I was thinking... "Hopefully they put the right arms on the correct sides."

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:13:20 PM EDT

[#16]

That's pretty cool. I wonder how long (if ever) he gains any more mobility?

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:20:44 PM EDT

[#17]

This is encouraging. With the right set of arms and legs, I can pursue my dreams of playing in the NFL.

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:24:27 PM EDT

[#18]

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Quoted:
They can already regrow limbs. I wonder why they are still bothering with transplants.

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We can't regrow entire functioning arms, AFAIK.

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:25:54 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:

Good for him.

Would be kind of weird to look down at your hand and realize that someone else had used it to masturbate though.

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wouldnt that just be "the stranger"

in all seriousness though, I'm very happy for him

let's give the man a hand!

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:33:16 PM EDT

[#20]

That guy looks a lot like iraqvet8888

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:38:37 PM EDT

[#21]

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Quoted:
We can't regrow entire functioning arms, AFAIK.

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Quoted:

Quoted:

They can already regrow limbs. I wonder why they are still bothering with transplants.

We can't regrow entire functioning arms, AFAIK.

They are able to regrow fingers. They are rather complicated affairs. You would think they could do arms. It's a matter of time I suppose.

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:45:33 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
That's really cool. I was kind of hoping his arms would be a different color though.

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Like Bill the Galactic Hero!

Posted: 11/26/2014 1:55:08 PM EDT

[#23]

Just reading that article makes my arms feel numb.

But, I'd be down for super advanced prosthetics/robotic limbs like in movies/TV.

Posted: 11/26/2014 2:19:28 PM EDT

[#24]

is the donor dead? I assume they are.

Wouldn't that be odd if he had a woman's arms transplanted on to his body.

Posted: 11/26/2014 11:40:06 PM EDT

[#25]

Posted: 11/26/2014 11:44:08 PM EDT

[#26]

That's cool, but I was under the impression that there was a high risk of rejection on whole arm/hand transplants.

Posted: 11/26/2014 11:44:19 PM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:
Least Favorite Book: "A Farewell to Arms"

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Holy shit was not expecting that. I rost.

When can I get a new dick?

Posted: 11/26/2014 11:48:28 PM EDT

[#28]

Quote History

Quoted:
Good for him.

Would be kind of weird to look down at your hand and realize that someone else had used it to masturbate though.

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First thing I thought of actually.

Posted: 11/26/2014 11:49:38 PM EDT

[#29]

Quote History

Quoted:
is the donor dead? I assume they are.

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Posted: 11/26/2014 11:49:50 PM EDT

[#30]

I'd rather have awesome robot arms, personally.

Posted: 11/26/2014 11:51:42 PM EDT

[#31]

Posted: 11/26/2014 11:53:04 PM EDT

[#32]

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Quoted:

I'd rather have awesome robot arms, personally.

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As long as I can hold out for Terminator parts, I'm all good.

Posted: 11/26/2014 11:54:54 PM EDT

[#33]

Quote History

Quoted:

Good for him.

Would be kind of weird to look down at your hand and realize that someone else had used it to masturbate though.

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I'm sure he's comforted by the fact that he can now masturbate again.

Posted: 11/26/2014 11:57:01 PM EDT

[#34]

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Quoted:

Quoted:
is the donor dead? I assume they are.

You never know, people donate kidneys all the time.

Posted: 11/26/2014 11:59:49 PM EDT

[#35]

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Quoted:

You never know, people donate kidneys all the time.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
is the donor dead? I assume they are.

You never know, people donate kidneys all the time.

No, they don't.

Posted: 11/27/2014 12:02:28 AM EDT

[#36]

He doesn't even need to lay on his arm, until it falls asleep, so it feels like someone else.

But I think I'd request the arm of a 22 year old female.

Posted: 11/27/2014 12:23:21 AM EDT

[#37]

Very cool

Also,

I fking hate those splits.

Posted: 11/27/2014 12:33:01 AM EDT

[#38]

I didn't know we were capable of grafting nerves such that they would actually work again with a donor limb.

Posted: 11/27/2014 12:42:54 AM EDT

[#39]

Quote History

Quoted:
Holy shit was not expecting that. I rost.

When can I get a new dick?

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:

Least Favorite Book: "A Farewell to Arms"

Holy shit was not expecting that. I rost.

When can I get a new dick?

I know a guy that got a new dick transplanted; his hand rejected it.

Posted: 11/27/2014 1:46:48 AM EDT

[#40]

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Quoted:

No, they don't.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
is the donor dead? I assume they are.

You never know, people donate kidneys all the time.

No, they don't.

People, plural of person, kidneys plural of kidney.

For example posting, people donate kidney all the time is not correct.

Neither is, person donates kidneys, because they would die. Unless they had more than two functioning kidneys. Which that has been medically documented.

So, yes people do donate kidney's all the time, because there is more than one person giving a kidney and more than one kidney being donated.

Maybe the guy could get one arm from one person and one arm from another.

Posted: 11/27/2014 1:48:57 AM EDT

[#41]

Holy shit we can now attach other peoples limbs to people that need them, I fucking love science and shit.

Posted: 11/27/2014 1:52:24 AM EDT

[#42]

Simply incredible. Now if we could just find a way to deal with spinal cord injuries.

Posted: 11/27/2014 2:03:30 AM EDT

[#43]

Quote History

Quoted:
Good for him.

Would be kind of weird to look down at your hand and realize that someone else had used it to masturbate though.

View Quote

That was my first thought exactly.

Posted: 11/27/2014 2:03:41 AM EDT

[#44]

Quote History

Quoted:
Simply incredible. Now if we could just find a way to deal with spinal cord injuries.

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If we poured the amount of money we dump into breast cancer and aids into spinal chord injury research we would have an answer by now. Not to mention all the other neurological disorders that may be cured/managed.

It's amazing that amount of money that goes to two disease which are 100% preventable via safe sex, safe drug usage and genetic testing with proactive mastectomies.

I guess this hits a nerve because we just spent the last 4 weekends raising money for a little kid who was paralyzed recently. Where his whole life won't be the same.

Posted: 11/27/2014 2:11:44 AM EDT

[#45]

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Quoted:
That's really cool. I was kind of hoping his arms would be a different color though.

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LOL

pretty awesome

Posted: 11/27/2014 2:13:09 AM EDT

[#46]

Quote History

Quoted:
Just reading that article makes my arms feel numb.

But, I'd be down for super advanced prosthetics/robotic limbs like in movies/TV.

View Quote

Posted: 11/27/2014 2:27:29 AM EDT

[#47]

Quote History

Quoted:

You never know, people donate kidneys all the time.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
is the donor dead? I assume they are.

You never know, people donate kidneys all the time.

You are kidding , right ? A person has two kidneys and can function with one . There is some risk .

Yeah , the donor would be dead .

I am a organ donor , I don't care what part of me gets cremated or buried , if anybody can get some use out of anything after I am dead, have at it . I also understand some folks get freaked out at donations and want their body to be left alone .

Posted: 11/27/2014 2:27:34 AM EDT

[#48]

Quote History

Quoted:

If we poured the amount of money we dump into breast cancer and aids into spinal chord injury research we would have an answer by now. Not to mention all the other neurological disorders that may be cured/managed.

It's amazing that amount of money that goes to two disease which are 100% preventable via safe sex, safe drug usage and genetic testing with proactive mastectomies.

I guess this hits a nerve because we just spent the last 4 weekends raising money for a little kid who was paralyzed recently. Where his whole life won't be the same.

View Quote View All Quotes

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Simply incredible. Now if we could just find a way to deal with spinal cord injuries.

If we poured the amount of money we dump into breast cancer and aids into spinal chord injury research we would have an answer by now. Not to mention all the other neurological disorders that may be cured/managed.

It's amazing that amount of money that goes to two disease which are 100% preventable via safe sex, safe drug usage and genetic testing with proactive mastectomies.

I guess this hits a nerve because we just spent the last 4 weekends raising money for a little kid who was paralyzed recently. Where his whole life won't be the same.

I couldnt agree more. I volunteer for adaptive sports regularly.. but I also see the other side of it where people cope in unhealthy ways. I mean it seems so simple...just find a way for the brain to communicate with muscles after an SCI. I really wish we (people smarter than me

) had the resources to find a cure.