“When dealing with hand transplantation, and similar VCA procedures such as face transplants, the requirements of identifying a donor change,” said Richard Hasz, vice president of clinical services for Gift of Life. “For these patients we have to take into account additional criteria such as gender, ethnicity, race, skin color and tone, and size. But what’s constant is the respect for donors and their families, careful selection of the recipient, and commitment to obtaining family authorization. For 42 years, Gift of Life Donor Program has partnered with transplant centers throughout this region to bring innovative transplant procedures to patients in need. Each one of these procedures would not be possible without the generosity of a donor and a donor family. We extend our condolences on their loss and thank them for their selflessness and for their gift that made this surgery possible.”

Following this transplant, the recipient is prescribed daily immunosuppressant medications to prevent their body from rejecting the new limbs, which is then followed-up by rigorous occupational and physical therapy to regain hand function and use. Once she is able, Laura will return to France to continue treatment with Lantieri and his team. She is expected to participate in daily therapy sessions, with the hope that she will see significant improvement in her function within the first twelve months.


“This international collaboration, both in planning and preparation and in the operating room, was possible not only because of the members of the Penn, Paris Descartes University, and Gift of Life teams, but because of the countless others caring for Laura on the ground in France and those who played a critical role in getting her to the United States,” said Levin. “We’re now becoming the epicenter of international limb transplantation and salvage.”

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