I just had a bottle of wine delivered to the big, brigh warehouse-type building where I've been studying neuroscience and histology labs all day. But that's beside the point (really, it is). I've also just read what may be the most amazing medical breakthrough in my few years upon this earth - the first ever double arm transplant. Here's another article, with slightly more information. There was another forearm and hand transplant a few years ago, but that wasn't as cool as this.
This German famer lost his arms in an accident some six yeas ago, and they decided to try to give him some new ones. Apparently, the operation with off without a hitch, but they're still watching him very closely. I'm guessing the matched up the MHCs just right ( major histocompatibility complexes - they're the things responsible for graft rejection). However, due to the severance of neural connections, they're hoping that his nervous system will regrow the nerves. The best and most amazing thing would be for this guy to say "Meine neuen Arme prickeln", which roughly translates to "My new arms are tingling". That would be the first sign of axonal regeneration.
It's things like this amazing surgery which make it easier to sit here, day after day, and stare at words on a page, or pictures in a book. This is something straight out of science fiction. Heart transplant? Old hat. New kidneys? Not so new. Separation of craniopagus (joined at the head) conjoined twins? Hell, even that's been done. But a double arm transplant? I guess we should wait to see if it works before counting our chickens, but this is the coolest thing I've read in a long time.
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