OPTN/SRTR 2020 Annual Data Report: VCA

Abstract

The first vascularized composite allograft (VCA) transplant in the United States was performed in 1998 in a 40‐year‐old man who received a laryn‐geal transplant after experiencing severe trauma to the throat 20 years before. The following VCA was a hand transplant in 1999 in a 37‐year‐old man who lost his left hand 13 years before. Since then, the field of VCA transplantation has made significant strides. On July 3, 2014, the Or gan Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)/United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) oversight of VCA procurement and transplant in the United States went into effect. In the last decade, the number of candidates listed for and transplanted with VCA has increased. While patient demographic data, whether listed candidates or patients undergoing VCA transplant, is limited by sample size, the trend is a predominance toward a young/middle‐aged, White population. Overall outcomes data have been promising, with the vast majority of VCA transplants resulting in functioning grafts.

Lymphedema Surgical Education and Faculty Demographics in United States Plastic Surgery Residency Programs

“…Evaluations of perceived gender and race in lymphedema surgeon faculty demonstrated that greater proportions of lymphedema surgeons were women and races other than Caucasian when compared with studies assessing the perceived demographics of the plastic surgery specialty collectively. 17 28 Faculty perceived as female or a race underrepresented in plastic surgery had significantly less research productivity than their counterparts, though this may be the result of these populations having significantly more assistant professor titles and significantly fewer years of experience. Both high research productivity and diversity of faculty contribute to the overall ranking, reputation, and desirability of a plastic surgery residency program, as these are elements reported to be influential to plastic surgery applicants when going through the program selection process.…”

A local drug delivery system prolongs graft survival by dampening T cell infiltration and neutrophil extracellular trap formation in vascularized composite allografts

“…After the first described hand transplantation attempt in 1964 (1), it took 34 years for VCA to become a clinical reality thanks to the advent of potent immunosuppressive therapies like calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) (2). Since then, the field has expanded greatly, with over 170 VCAs performed worldwide, including face, hand, uterus, and abdominal wall transplantations (3)(4)(5)(6).…”