International vascularised composite allotransplantation activity: implications for Australia

Although hand transplantation has the potential to transform lives, the procedure is not without risk

March 2018 heralded 7 years since the only Australian to date received a hand transplant. The recipient has physically and psychologically integrated the transplanted hand and reports significantly improved quality of life;1 motor and sensory functions continue to improve incrementally with ongoing hand therapy. The Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) Vascular Composite Allograft (VCA) Advisory Committee met during the TSANZ annual scientific meeting held in Melbourne in April 2018. Transplant physicians and surgeons and reconstructive microsurgeons comprise the advisory committee, with scope to co‐opt expert members (eg, in bioethics) as required. Despite the success of the seminal hand transplant in Australia, no further patients have progressed to the transplant waiting list. In light of this, the Advisory Committee reflects in this article on the status of hand transplantation internationally and considers its relevance for Australia.