Britain's first "hand swap op"

[Lyubov]

Eight days ago Mark Cahill was living with a paralysed right hand.

Yesterday he was able to move his fingers for the first time in five years after becoming the first Briton to receive a hand transplant.

The operation also made history as the world's first when the original hand was removed during the same procedure. In the past, recipients have already lost the hand before the replacement could be found.

Mr Cahill, a 51-year-old grandfather from West Yorkshire, was deprived of the use of the hand when it became infected during a severe attack of gout.

He said he was ecstatic about the operation's success so far, and hoped to be able to return to work as a pub landlord.

'This has changed my life,' he added. 'It feels great to look at this hand and see it move. Before the operation, I couldn't tie my own shoes, do up the buttons on my shirt, cut up my own dinner or play with my grandson's toys with him  – hopefully I'll be able to do all these things now.'

The eight-hour operation was carried out at Leeds General Infirmary by a team led by consultant plastic surgeon Simon Kay.

Mr Cahill, with 47-year-old wife Sylvia by his side, said: 'I'd like to thank the whole team at the LGI but above all, I would like to thank the donor family. It was a really great thing that they did.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2256759/Britains-hand-swap-op-Grandfather-ecstatic-ground-breaking-8-hour-transplant.html

[Kaesekopf]