UCLA plastic surgeons perform first hand transplant in California.
Posted in: Plastic Surgery in the News | March 22, 2011 | Comments Off
I’d like to share a remarkable story from the Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery department at UCLA where I received my training. When it comes to Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, many people instantly think of cosmetic surgery – breast augmentations, rhinoplasty, lip filler, botox. Although that makes up a large part of many plastic surgeons’ practice, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery is a broad field and includes breast reconstruction for breast cancer patients, cleft lip and palate surgery for children, facial reconstruction after trauma, chest wall reconstruction for patients with complications after cardiac surgery, as well as hand surgery to name a few. Every plastic surgeon who went through an accredited plastic surgery training program is versed in all areas of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.
This month, a young mother who lost her right hand in a traffic accident five years ago was the first person to receive a hand transplant in California and the 13th in the U.S. She couldn’t tie her shoelaces or braid her daughter’s hair. This was performed at the UCLA hand transplant unit of the Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Department. The goal of plastic surgery is to make patients whole again and to improve their quality of life. I’m incredibly proud to have trained at an institution that helped this young woman get her life back again.
Dr. Catherine Huang Begovic