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American Morning
Interview with Two Hand Transplant Recipients
Aired February 14, 2003 - 07:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Jerry Fisher is celebrating an anniversary this weekend, and it doesnt involve his Valentine. On Sunday, it will be two years since Fisher got his new left hand. He is just the second person in the U.S. to receive a hand transplant. The first was Matthew Scott. His surgery was four years ago.
Jerry Fisher and Matthew Scott join us now from Louisville, Kentucky, along with their surgeon, Dr. Warren Breidenbach.
Happy Valentine's Day. Good morning, gentlemen. Glad to have you all with us this morning.
GERALD FISHER, HAND TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT: Good morning.
MATTHEW SCOTT, HAND TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT: Thank you.
DR. WARREN BREIDENBACH, SURGEON: Good morning.
ZAHN: Matthew, we mentioned you're at the four-year mark. Take us back to when you first got the transplant, what you couldn't do then that you can do today.
SCOTT: Well, four years ago, my dominant left hand was not there, and I had a myoelectric (ph) prosthesis. So, everything that I did was one-handed with some assistance from a prosthesis that was about 25 percent of my right hand.
So, there was a whole laundry list of things that were impossible for me to do. But the things that were most bothersome to me were small things and little things that I couldn't do in daily life, opening doors, tying shoes, being able to do something where two hands were needed, playing sports with my sons -- a whole list of things such as that.
ZAHN: You look like one heck of a dealer there. Do you really have pretty much the same sensation now in the transplanted hand from your other one?
SCOTT: No, it's certainly different -- excuse me. It's certainly less than it is in my right hand. But the sensations of hot, cold, pain and some discrimination in the fingertips and in the palm are there, and it's certainly far better than I had with the prosthesis.
ZAHN: Jerry, you've got to look at this as some kind of miracle in your case. Did you ever think that you'd be able to have the kind mobility and leverage that you have with the new hand today? FISHER: Yes, the miracle part is exactly right. I didn't always hold out hope that there was something that would get me back to where I was, and it's been progressing towards that. It's almost as if I had never lost my hand.
ZAHN: It looks like a lot of work, though. We see you pouring water from a pitcher there. How much therapy is involved in trying to get that kind of strength in that hand?
FISHER: Well, at first right after the surgery, I was here for three months, and I was in intense therapy right up until I left. And then they continued therapy at the University of Michigan back home, and that was twice a week. So, that's a big part of it, and it's helped.
ZAHN: Yes, Dr. Breidenbach, if you want to talk about that for a moment. There are a lot of challenges for these new patients, not only all of the therapy they have to endure, but the fear that without anti-rejection drugs, these hands might not be with them forever.
BREIDENBACH: Yes, I think that's really an important point to get across to the public. These two gentlemen are really pioneers. They stepped into an area, where people had said that it couldn't be done, and that if they took these drugs, there was a high potential that they might die. And we've shown that we can maneuver with these drugs and keep them healthy and keep the hands functioning and on.
So, they're really pioneers that took a big risk when they were stepping into an area that was very unknown. We've learned a lot now. Matt is out four years, Jerry is out two years, and there have been 20 hands transplanted on about 16 patients around the world now.
ZAHN: Well, it is extraordinary to see the progress they've made, and I know that's due to their drive in some part and the magic of the surgery. And we thank you all for sharing your story with us this morning, and we wish you continued good luck.
BREIDENBACH: Thank you. I appreciate it, Paula.
FISHER: Thank you very much.
SCOTT: Thank you.
ZAHN: And we hope this brings hope to a lot of other patients out there, who have lost hands in accidents and are in dire need of a miracle. Thanks again. Happy Valentine's Day.
BREIDENBACH: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired February 14, 2003 - 07:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Jerry Fisher is celebrating an anniversary this weekend, and it doesnt involve his Valentine. On Sunday, it will be two years since Fisher got his new left hand. He is just the second person in the U.S. to receive a hand transplant. The first was Matthew Scott. His surgery was four years ago.
Jerry Fisher and Matthew Scott join us now from Louisville, Kentucky, along with their surgeon, Dr. Warren Breidenbach.
Happy Valentine's Day. Good morning, gentlemen. Glad to have you all with us this morning.
GERALD FISHER, HAND TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT: Good morning.
MATTHEW SCOTT, HAND TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT: Thank you.
DR. WARREN BREIDENBACH, SURGEON: Good morning.
ZAHN: Matthew, we mentioned you're at the four-year mark. Take us back to when you first got the transplant, what you couldn't do then that you can do today.
SCOTT: Well, four years ago, my dominant left hand was not there, and I had a myoelectric (ph) prosthesis. So, everything that I did was one-handed with some assistance from a prosthesis that was about 25 percent of my right hand.
So, there was a whole laundry list of things that were impossible for me to do. But the things that were most bothersome to me were small things and little things that I couldn't do in daily life, opening doors, tying shoes, being able to do something where two hands were needed, playing sports with my sons -- a whole list of things such as that.
ZAHN: You look like one heck of a dealer there. Do you really have pretty much the same sensation now in the transplanted hand from your other one?
SCOTT: No, it's certainly different -- excuse me. It's certainly less than it is in my right hand. But the sensations of hot, cold, pain and some discrimination in the fingertips and in the palm are there, and it's certainly far better than I had with the prosthesis.
ZAHN: Jerry, you've got to look at this as some kind of miracle in your case. Did you ever think that you'd be able to have the kind mobility and leverage that you have with the new hand today? FISHER: Yes, the miracle part is exactly right. I didn't always hold out hope that there was something that would get me back to where I was, and it's been progressing towards that. It's almost as if I had never lost my hand.
ZAHN: It looks like a lot of work, though. We see you pouring water from a pitcher there. How much therapy is involved in trying to get that kind of strength in that hand?
FISHER: Well, at first right after the surgery, I was here for three months, and I was in intense therapy right up until I left. And then they continued therapy at the University of Michigan back home, and that was twice a week. So, that's a big part of it, and it's helped.
ZAHN: Yes, Dr. Breidenbach, if you want to talk about that for a moment. There are a lot of challenges for these new patients, not only all of the therapy they have to endure, but the fear that without anti-rejection drugs, these hands might not be with them forever.
BREIDENBACH: Yes, I think that's really an important point to get across to the public. These two gentlemen are really pioneers. They stepped into an area, where people had said that it couldn't be done, and that if they took these drugs, there was a high potential that they might die. And we've shown that we can maneuver with these drugs and keep them healthy and keep the hands functioning and on.
So, they're really pioneers that took a big risk when they were stepping into an area that was very unknown. We've learned a lot now. Matt is out four years, Jerry is out two years, and there have been 20 hands transplanted on about 16 patients around the world now.
ZAHN: Well, it is extraordinary to see the progress they've made, and I know that's due to their drive in some part and the magic of the surgery. And we thank you all for sharing your story with us this morning, and we wish you continued good luck.
BREIDENBACH: Thank you. I appreciate it, Paula.
FISHER: Thank you very much.
SCOTT: Thank you.
ZAHN: And we hope this brings hope to a lot of other patients out there, who have lost hands in accidents and are in dire need of a miracle. Thanks again. Happy Valentine's Day.
BREIDENBACH: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
