Spaniard loses both legs again

After double leg transplantation, the legs need to be amputated again

06/12/2013

Double leg amputation after double leg transplantation. Two years ago, two patients were transplanted to a patient at the Hospital La Fe in Valencia for the first time. The initially celebrated medical sensation has now come to a sad end. The patient had to have both legs amputated again.

According to the information provided by the Hospital La Fe in Valencia, the man had to discontinue immunosuppressants due to an unspecified condition, which should prevent rejection of the transplanted legs. In such cases, it is envisaged to remove the transplanted organ from the patient if this is not a vital organ, „to allow the treatment of the disease, which is more serious and urgent“, reported the hospital in an opinion on the double leg amputation.

Illness prevents further intake of immunosuppressants
In a ten-hour operation in 2011, the 50-strong team around surgeon Pedro Cavadas at Hospital La Fe had two legs transplanted to a man whose legs were severed above the knee in a traffic accident. Nerves, blood vessels, muscles, tendons and bones have been reconnected to save the patient a life in a wheelchair. The ambitious project of the doctors seemed at first like a complete success. The legs were not repelled and theoretically the patient would have been able to lead a reasonably normal life with his legs over time. Only the intake of so-called immunosuppressants, which should permanently prevent a rejection of the transplanted legs, was unavoidable. However, the patient apparently could no longer take the medication, which is why Cavadas and colleagues now decided to amputate the legs.

Double leg amputation Consequence of drug discontinuation
A disease unrelated to the original transplant had made it impossible for the patient to continue taking immunosuppressive drugs, the hospital reports, but without naming the disease. The amputation had already taken place some time ago, but only now become public, since the patient had previously refused his consent to an announcement. Despite the failure, the criticism of the ambitious „Wunderdoktor“, as Cavadas is sometimes referred to by the Spanish media, so far limited. With his spectacular interventions Cavadas had already caused a stir on several occasions. For example, in the world's first double hand transplantation in 2006. (fp)

Image: Dieter Schütz