<unk>  is a surgical procedure to transplant a<unk>  from one human to another. The donor<unk>  usually comes from a brain-dead donor and is transplanted to a recipient who has lost one or both<unk> s/arms. Most<unk>  transplants to date have been performed on below elbow amputees, although above elbow transplants are gaining popularity.<unk>  transplants were the first of a new category of transplants where multiple organs are transplanted as a single functional unit, now termed "Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation" or VCA. The operation is quite extensive and typically lasts from 8 to 12 hours. By comparison, a typical heart transplant operation lasts 6 to 8 hours. Surgeons usually connect the bones first, followed by tendons, arteries, nerves, veins, and skin. The recipient of a<unk>  transplant needs to take immunosuppressive drugs similar to other transplants such as kidneys or livers, as the body's natural immune system will try to reject, or destroy, the<unk> . These drugs cause the recipient to have a weaker immune system which may lead to an increased risk of infections and some cancers. There have been many advances in solid organ transplantation over the years that have made these medications quite tolerable. After the transplant, there is a period of extensive<unk>  therapy/rehabilitation which helps the recipients regain function of the transplanted<unk> . Those patients who are dedicated to taking the medications and performing the physical therapy following a<unk>  transplant have had remarkable success in regaining function of the new<unk> s/arms.
Hand transplantation
Skin grafting
Autotransplantation
Allotransplantation
Face transplant
Cheek reconstruction
Tendon transfer
Xenotransplantation