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Five years after losing her right hand in a traffic accident, a 26-year-old woman has received a first hand transplant at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center's new hand transplant center, according to the United Press International, or UPI. The procedure was the first at UCLA's new center, and, the LA Times reports, the 13th in the U.S.
According to UPI, the 14-hour surgery was conducted by Dr. Kodi Azari, surgical director of UCLA's hand transplant program. He was joined by a team of 17 medical professionals, and reported that the surgery went well and that the patient is now back in her room recovering:
"Everything went well. The size, color and hair pattern match between the donor and recipient is nearly identical. We are so proud to have been able to give our patient the gift of a new hand."
The woman, a mother from California, will take immuno-supressants to ensure that her body doesn't reject the hand, and will soon begin physical therapy.