For the 29-year-old patient who underwent the State’s first double hand transplant, the day begins with a morning walk around his room, and exercises for his hands. Later on, he watches television: on Friday, Baahubali - 2 was playing, he says. “Every day I watch two films,” says R. Narayanaswamy, smiling into the video-camera that has been set up in his room — a sterile zone — through which his family interacts with him.
Five weeks after a 13-hour surgery by the plastic surgery department at Government Stanley Hospital, Mr. Narayanaswamy is now able to move his fingertips, and eventually, doctors hope, he will regain full use of his hands.
The patient, from Dindigul district, was working as a mason when he lost both his hands in an electrocution accident in 2015. The family had gone through a difficult time then — his father is a daily wage worker and his mother is not keeping good health, and his initial treatments at private hospitals totalled to around ₹2 lakh, says his younger sister, who is at the hospital with him. “My two sisters and I are married. We helped out when we could but most of it fell on my mother,” she says.
- We are going to start electrical stimulation — passing low doses of current through electrodes to twitch the muscles: V. Ramadevi, Plastic Surgery Department, Govt. Stanley Hospital
Once he completely recovers, Mr. Narayanaswamy says, he wants to go back to work: though he is not sure as yet what he will do.
The blood circulation in his transplanted hands is good, says head of the plastic surgery department V. Ramadevi.
“He undergoes physiotherapy every day to ensure the muscles are exercised and do not atrophy. We are also going to start electrical stimulation — passing low doses of current through electrodes to twitch the muscles. We want to see him be able to regain the use of his hands to the extent that he can work and do his daily activities,” she said.
Infection control
Even now, infection control is crucial, as he is on immunosuppressants — drugs that will prevent his body from rejecting the transplants, drugs he will have to take for life. “In another month or so, we will be able to discharge him, but we want him to stay on in Chennai for his exercises and monitoring,” she said. For Mr. Narayanaswamy though, his hospital room is just like home, he says. He is very comfortable and there is even a special chair with extended arms for him to rest his splint-covered hands on.
The hand transplant department at Stanley was started in 2011, but had received no donations up until last month, when the family of a 37-year-old from Manali consented to donate. The donor family was honoured by the State Health Minister at an event last month.
Waiting list
A waiting list of 108 patients for hand transplants exists, but Dr. Ramadevi says that every week, the hospital sees more cases — mostly of those who have lost one hand in accidents or machinery-related injuries. “We are hoping more families will come forward to donate,” she says.
