Zion receives bilateral hand transplant. We can learn from this young man and the surgical team who treated him

The field of reconstructive microsurgery is an exciting one. Unfortunately, in the western societies there is very little support for the microsurgeons because poor nerve function and scar tissue formation are the biggest enemies of replantation surgery. Long hours in the operating room, extensive use of resources and high cost are obstacles to the great field of reconstructive surgery. James Urbaniak and Panayotis N Soucacos say: "there is no end to the world of microsurgery". However, how to make a replant, such as a hand or finger or arm, functional remains a big challenge. I think that supporting efforts like the efforts of Dr Scott Levin who was the lead physician of the team that performed the bilateral hand transplantation in Philadelphia is of great importance. I see two exciting scenarios for the future of such surgeries. Tissue engineering or advances in the understanding of graft rejection will make this transplantation surgeries a viable solution to many amputees especially the young children who have a great potential for nerve recovery after end to end nerve repair. We are all excited for what is coming in the near future