A man who received America’s first double hand transplant has revealed his sadness at being unable to use his new limbs and said he wishes he had never had the operation. In 1999, a successful operation was performed in Louisville, Kentucky, and by 2000 a team at the University of Innsbruck, in Austria, began performing double hand transplants. I sit in my chair all day and wear my TV out.”The world’s first hand transplant was carried out in Ecuador in 1964, and was swiftly rejected. Kepner was aware of the risks — the first recipient of a successful hand transplant, in 1998, in the French city of Lyon, did not complete the prescribed post-operation treatment and opted to have the transplants removed. Jeff Kepner, 64, who underwent the pioneering surgery seven years ago, says he would have them removed if it were possible.

Source: National Post July 27, 2016 15:59 UTC