Stephen Gallagher laughed when it was first suggested that he might have a double-handed transplant. But five months after the groundbreaking surgery that could have cost him his entire arm. He is now pain-free and enjoying a “new life.”
A man’s double Stephen, 48, developed an unusual rash on his cheek and nose and right arm pain about 13 years ago.
A man’s double At first, doctors thought it was lupus, but then carpal tunnel syndrome, and the father of three underwent surgery.
But when the pain returned in both hands, he was referred to specialists who confirmed he had scleroderma. An autoimmune disease that causes scars on the skin and internal organs.
This condition affects areas such as the nose, mouth, and hands. About seven years ago, his fingers started clenching into fists. He was in “terrible” pain.
“My hand started to close. Then, finally, I reached the point where it was two fists; my hand was useless,” he recalls. “I couldn’t do anything but lift things with both hands.
“I can’t catch anything; it’s hard to get dressed and so on.” So from Dreghorn in North Ayrshire, Stephen had to give up his job as a tiler.
It was aimed at Professor Andrew Hart, a specialist in plastic and manual surgery in Glasgow. Who was the first to raise the possibility of a double arm transplant.
“When I laugh and think it’s space-age stuff,” he said. After further discussion with Prof Hart, Stephen spoke with Professor Simon Kay. A board-certified plastic surgeon at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, who led the UK’s first double arm transplant in 2016.
Both outline the risks involved.
“They were understanding and open about what could have happened that I could have lost my hand completely,” he recalls. “They said it was impossible, but it was a risk.
“My wife and I talked about it and agreed. I could have lost my hand, so I just had to tell them I would.
Stephen, who has three daughters aged 12, 24, and 27, will undergo a psychological evaluation to make sure he is ready for a transplant.