Louisville, Kentucky – Joseph Kutz, M.D., with Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, led a team of 24 hand surgeons and 2 anesthesiologists to perform another hand transplant during a 15 ½ hour procedure at Jewish Hospital which began on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 and ended this morning. This is the eighth patient for the Louisville Vascularized Composite Allograft Program team made up of surgeons and researchers from Jewish Hospital, the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery, Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, and the University of Louisville. 

A media briefing is planned to provide an update today, Thursday, February 16 at 3 p.m. at the Jewish Hospital Heart and Lung Center, Hank Wagner Conference Center, 201 Abraham Flexner Way, Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Kutz, partner with Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, director of the Kleinert Institute, and Michael Marvin, M.D., director of Transplantation at Jewish Hospital and associate professor of Surgery at the University of Louisville are the co-investigators for the innovative procedure. Rosemary Ouseph, M.D., director of Clinical Transplantation and professor of Medicine for the University of Louisville, manages the patient’s immunosuppressive drug therapy, along with Dr. Marvin.

Marion, Indiana resident Ronald Thurman is the hand transplant recipient and is recovering at the hospital. Thurman, age 56, is a self-employed farmer. He injured his right hand in a farming accident in November 2003 when his hand was caught in a combine/auger.  His right hand was amputated at the wrist, nine inches below the elbow.

The Louisville Vascularized Composite Allograft Program team developed the pioneering hand transplant procedure and has been performing hand transplants since 1999, the longest in the United States.  LifeGift in Texas, in coordination with the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, arranged the hand donation for the team’s eighth patient’s hand transplant procedure.

Other hand transplants performed by the Louisville Vascular Composite Allograft Program are:

Matthew Scott – January 24, 1999

Gerald Fisher – February 16, 2001

Dave Savage – November 29, 2006

Dave Armstrong – July 12, 2008

Jan (Erik) Hondusky – November 24, 2008

Richard Edwards – August 24, 2010 (double hand transplant)

Donnie Rickelman – July 10, 2011

Patient and physician information, photography and video are available at www.handtransplant.com.  

The hand transplant is sponsored by the Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research and Office of Army Research to further research in the Vascularized Composite Allograft Program.

About the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery

Named in honor of Dr. Kleinert's mother, the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery (CMKI) is a world-renowned nonprofit education and research organization funded by the Kleinert-Kutz Endowment for Education and Research in Hand and Micro Surgery. The physicians of the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center teach the next generation of hand surgeons through CMKI’s accredited fellowship program, which is cooperative effort with the University of Louisville School of Medicine. The Fellows are fully trained plastic, orthopedic, or general surgeons from around the world who come to Louisville to get additional training in hand and micro surgery. To date, more than 1,200 physicians from 58 countries have served as Fellows. Dozens of research projects refining surgical techniques, testing new devices and pushing the frontiers of basic and clinical science in the field of hand surgery are currently underway. CMKI also provides patient rehabilitation services after surgery and patients recovery services without surgery through the Hand Therapy Center and Orthotic Care Center. For more information, please visit www.cmki.org

About the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center

Kleinert Kutz is one of the largest hand care programs in the world, pioneering achievements in hand and microsurgery, research, therapy and orthotics. The 13 physicians of Kleinert Kutz offer expertise in orthopedic and plastic surgery and provide comprehensive care for the hand and arm. Kleinert Kutz’s significant achievements include the nation’s first five hand transplants, one of the world’s first cross-hand replantations, pioneered work in primary reconstruction using free tissue transfer and national award for research in blood flow to the nerve.  For more information, please visit www.kleinertkutz.com or call (502) 561-4263.

Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center is pleased to announce that our 2nd Edition of our Kleinert Kutz magazine is complete.  The magazine features articles about pollicization, pediatric hand injuries, lateral epicondylitis, carpal tunnel, baseball injuries and a history of microsurgery.  The magazine also has a special section highlighting our physician with their bios.

Click on the link below to check out the new magazine!

Kleinert Kutz Magazine 2012

Click here to download the Continuing Education registration form.

March 31, 2012:  Splinting:  The Basics and Beyond

Instructors:  Greg Frye, COF; Garry Burke, COF

Course description:  Begin by fabricating the 2 most common splints:  thumb spica, and wrist brace.  Take the splint “beyond” by adding dynamic components.  Learn how to use and modify capeners, joint jacks and oval 8 splints.  Class is limited to 10 participants.

Price: $180.00

Registration:  8:00 am             Class times:  8:30- 4:30pm – 1 hour lunch

Class schedule:  2 hours lecture; 5 hours lab time

Total class hours:  7 hours       Location:  225 Abraham Flexner Way, Suite 700 

Read more: 2012 CMKI Therapy & Orthotics Continuing Education Schedule

Louisville, Ky.—Donnie Rickelman, the seventh recipient of a hand transplant at Jewish Hospital, will return to the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery, and Jewish Hospital in Louisville on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 for a six-month check-up and evaluation with his team of doctors.

Rickelman says, “I can feel hot and cold sensation in the hand now.”

Rickelman received a new left hand in a 14½ hour procedure at Jewish Hospital on Sunday, July 10, 2011. Joseph Kutz, M.D., with Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, led the 15-member team of hand surgeons, which included hand fellows from the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery.  He returned to his home in Linton, Indiana in October, but continues to return to Louisville on a monthly basis to meet with his medical team as they monitor his progress.

“I enjoy playing video games - two handed - with my son and look forward to playing ball outdoors with him when the weather warms up,” said Rickelman. “I also continue to become more efficient at doing household chores such as cooking and cleaning, which really pleases my wife, Kelli.”

Drs. Kutz and Michael Marvin are the co-principle investigators for the Composite Tissue Allotransplantation program. In addition, Dr. Kutz is the medical director of the Kleinert Institute, the research and teaching arm of the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center. Dr. Marvin is also the director of Transplantation at Jewish Hospital, associate professor of Surgery at the University of Louisville.

“Donnie continues to exceed our expectations in recovery from the hand transplant procedure,” said Dr. Kutz.  “His hand activity has been incredible for someone just six months post surgery.  His hot and cold sensation will continue to get even better.”

The research team at the Kleinert Institute will be evaluating Donnie and performing some clinical, as well as research tests during his one day visit to Louisville.

“Donnie still has a mild rash on his hand and arm that comes and goes which is considered a mild rejection episode, said Dr. Marvin. “But he continues to do quite well. These mild rejection episodes are not unexpected and can be treated with modifications to his medical regimen.”  Dr. Marvin, along with Rosemary Ouseph, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Louisville, oversees Rickelman’s immunosuppressive drug therapy by closely monitoring him for signs of rejection and adverse reaction to medications with lab tests and biopsies. 

Rickelman, 36, injured both hands in a factory accident on March 9, 1998 when they were caught in a steel-splitter machine. His dominant right hand was crushed and his left hand partially amputated below the wrist, leaving a partial thumb and limited wrist movement with the left hand. While he remained independent, he struggled with the activities of daily living. 

The Composite Tissue Allotransplantation program is a partnership of physicians, researchers and healthcare providers at Jewish Hospital, Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, the Christine M. Kleinert Institute and the University of Louisville. The group developed the pioneering hand transplant procedure and has performed a total of eight hand transplants on seven patients including the world’s most successful in 1999. Indiana Organ Procurement Organization in coordination with the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates arranged the hand donation for Rickelman’s hand transplant procedure.

The hand transplant is sponsored by the Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research and Office of Army Research to further research in the composite tissue allotransplantation program.

Patient and physician information is available at www.handtransplant.com.

About the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center

Kleinert Kutz is one of the largest hand care programs in the world, pioneering achievements in hand and microsurgery, research, therapy and orthotics. The 13 physicians of Kleinert Kutz offer expertise in orthopedic and plastic surgery and provide comprehensive care for the hand and arm. Kleinert Kutz’s significant achievements include the nation’s first five hand transplants, one of the world’s first cross-hand replantations, pioneered work in primary reconstruction using free tissue transfer and national award for research in blood flow to the nerve.  For more information, please visit www.kleinertkutz.com or call (502) 561-4263.

About the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery

Named in honor of Dr. Kleinert's mother, the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery (CMKI) is a world-renowned nonprofit education and research organization funded by the Kleinert-Kutz Endowment for Education and Research in Hand and Micro Surgery. The physicians of the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center teach the next generation of hand surgeons through CMKI’s accredited fellowship program, which is cooperative effort with the University of Louisville School of Medicine. The Fellows are fully trained plastic, orthopedic, or general surgeons from around the world who come to Louisville to get additional training in hand and micro surgery. To date, more than 1,200 physicians from 58 countries have served as Fellows. Dozens of research projects refining surgical techniques, testing new devices and pushing the frontiers of basic and clinical science in the field of hand surgery are currently underway. CMKI also provides patient rehabilitation services after surgery and patients recovery services without surgery through the Hand Therapy Center and Orthotic Care Center. For more information, please visit www.cmki.org or call (502) 562-0310.