Doctors Finish Mother -To-Son Nerve Surgery

[Simply Tree]

Thought this article may be of interest to all - very encouraging progress.

 
Doctors Finish Mother-To-Son Nerve Surgery

By ALEX DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press Writer

November 17, 2005, 9:03 PM EST
BALTIMORE -- Doctors performed a rare mother-to-son nerve transplant Thursday, hoping to restore the use of a 19-year-old's left hand. The six-hour surgery on Nick Anderson of Atco, N.J., went as planned, and doctors should see the first signs of success in a few months, said Eric Vohr, a spokesman for Johns Hopkins Hospital.
"They'll have an inkling of potential success in three months, in about a year they should know if he'll regain the use of the hand," Vohr said.
Anderson's left arm was severely injured in a December 2004 accident in which he also lost his left leg below the knee. The arm no longer has an elbow joint, and two of the three main nerves have been severed.
Living donations of nerves are rare, with cadavers used more often. However, such surgeries are increasing, and raising hopes of saving limbs that previously would have been lost. In some cases, grafts can be taken from other parts of the body, but in Anderson's case, the loss of his leg meant there wasn't enough donor nerve to use, Belzberg said.
Anderson's mother, Frankie Anderson, 40, had nerve segments removed from each arm and leg on Tuesday, leaving her with permanent numb spots on small patches on each elbow and the inside of each foot, said Dr. Allan Belzberg, who performed Thursday's surgery.
Nick Anderson had a brain tumor removed two years ago, and Belzberg said there were concerns that anti-rejection drugs might affect his ability to fight off a recurrence of the tumor.
Anderson, however, will not have to take the anti-rejection drugs permanently because the donated nerves are needed only until his own cells overgrow the donated nerve cells. The anti-rejections drugs can be stopped and his body will remove the foreign, donated nerve cells.
Family members say they have been told the surgery has a 50 percent chance of success.

[babyryd]

Very interesting indeed. When we were in Baltimore for surgery in June, my husband had asked Dr. Belzberg if he'd consider using his nerves to try to connect more of our son's nerves since he didn't have enough grafting material (surals), but Dr. Belzberg didn't like the idea of having our son (age 7, LTBPI) on immunosuppressants. This unfortunate young man is under the care of an amazing surgeon and our hope for him is that this procedure proves successful with unprecedented gains.

[admin]

I needed nerve taken from both of my legs for Dr. Belzberg to do my repair. We had also talked about transplant and he was not keen. I think the difference for this young man is that he is already missing one leg and there3 was no choice. I would not want to be on the heavy drugs that he will be on for the next couple of years.

How is your child doing with the repair? I wish I could give a hug to everyone who has to go through this. I have been very fortunate and have regained excellent function. I do see others who have not and pray that the doctors will keep pushing the envelope on new techniques.

Greg