Michigan Man Undergoes Rare Hand Transplant

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Michigan man who lost his right hand in a work-related accident more than 30 years ago became the third successful hand transplant recipient in America, doctors said yesterday.

David Savage was doing well the day after the surgery at Jewish Hospital in Louisville.

Doctors said the transplant for Mr. Savage, 54, presented unusual challenges because of the length of time between losing his hand in a machine press and the surgery. The blood vessels leading to Mr. Savage’s hand had shrunk because they were not in use, the lead surgeon, Dr. Warren Breidenbach, said.

“It’s like closing down your house for 32 years, then deciding to go back in and take a shower. You turn it on, it sputters a little bit, then it works,” Dr. Breidenbach said.

Of the two-dozen hand transplant recipients worldwide, Mr. Savage may have gone the longest between losing a hand and having a transplant, Dr. Breidenbach said. That amount of time creates a “slightly higher risk” of vascular compromise, when blood stops flowing, because the blood vessels used in the transplant were dormant for so long, Dr. Breidenbach said.

“If it stops working, we’ll go back in there and get it started again,” Dr. Breidenbach said.

The procedure involved two surgeries and 32 doctors over 16 hours on Wednesday, the day the anonymous donor died.

Mr. Savage, of Bay City, Mich., is also serving as a test case for a drug called Campath to ward off rejection. If Mr. Savage’s body rejects the new hand, it will happen in the first three to six months, doctors said.

The first two hand transplants in America were also performed at Jewish Hospital in 1999 and 2001.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use