Penn Lends a Hand

Earlier this week, Penn Medicine announced the formation of the Penn Hand Transplant Program, which is exactly what it sounds like. This is exciting news because it means that Penn is one of the very few places worldwide where hand transplants will be available.

The procedure is super controversial-- read after the jump to find out why!

Not only is it relatively new (the first hand transplant was in 1998 in Lyon, France-- hey abroad kids-- and it was later amputated), but many argue that hands aren't technically "necessary" as compared to internal organs. Additionally, patients that undergo the surgery must take immunosuppressants that leave them susceptible to illness.

According to this article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Penn hired "a team of specialists...to interview and evaluate hand-transplant candidates. The team includes social workers, psychologists, ethicists, and financial counselors, as well as physicians." Glad they threw that last one in there. Doctors are probably useful.

We wish the two chosen candidates the best of luck and sincerely hope that they become the new viral hand sensations on the web.