Spanish surgeons, this Monday, performed the world's first double-leg transplant, giving an accident victim two new legs. Experts said it will be a month at least before the team will know if the procedure was a success. However if the legs are rejected that could happen immediately.
The unidentified patient had lost both legs above the knee in an accident. An earlier attempt to fit him with two artificial legs failed because the patient did not have enough of his own legs remaining to use the prostheses successfully. This operation received approval last year, but surgeons had to wait until they found a suitable donor.
Dr. Pedro Cavadas of La Fe Hospital in Valencia began the operation Sunday night, spending nearly 14 hours connecting bones, nerves and muscles in the delicate procedure. Cavadas in 2009 carried out Spain's first face transplant - the first anywhere to include a new tongue and jaw.
The government statement said the operation at La Fe Hospital in Valencia was extremely complex and Cavadas will wait at least 48 hours to release more information. Dr. Rafael Matesanz, director of the National Transplant Organization said, “Today we can say a landmark has been reached.”
Hospital privatization leads to lower quality care, study reveals