The first hand transplant performed in a defense department hospital marks a milestone that could lead to similar surgeries for servicemembers wounded in combat.
The recipient of the new hand, Retired Air Force Master Sgt. Janet McWilliams, is recovering from surgery Feb. 17 at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.
“I am hoping that I can open the door for other wounded warriors who are coming back from Iraq, Afghanistan [and] other areas in the world who have lost hands [or] arms; hopefully this will provide hope for them,” she said at a press conference.
McWilliams lost her left hand nine years ago, when a package bomb exploded in her office. After more than two dozen reconstructive surgeries she describes the hand transplant as, “a precious gift.” Two weeks after surgery McWilliams has some movement in her fingers. But Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Dmitry Tuder, chief of hand and upper extremity service at Wilford Hall, says it could take about a year to recover feeling in the hand and the ability to use it for daily tasks.
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