First Bilateral Hand Transplant in a Child: Zion’s Story

The world’s first bilateral hand transplant in a child has taken place at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. For more: The surgery took more than 12 hours. The team, led by L. Scott Levin, M.D., and Benjamin Chang, M.D., included 12 surgeons, 8 nurses, 4 anesthesiologists and others. Levin and Chang direct the Hand Transplantation Program at CHOP. The recipient, Zion, 8, lost his hands and lower legs at the age of 2 as a result of a life-threatening infection.