Plastic Surgeon Simon Talbot Completes Double Arm Transplant

Originally from Hamilton, Dr Simon Talbot, 38, a reconstructive plastic surgeon specialising in hand surgery, has led a team in a ground-breaking double arm transplant on a quadruple amputee at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Talbot, director of upper extremity transplantation at the Brigham, said 40-year-old Will Lautzenheiser’s nine-hour surgery went smoothly, and his recovery so far has been typical.

Talbot, who trained at the Auckland University School of Medicine, said Lautzenheiser was a good candidate for the surgery, in part because of his positive attitude and strong network of family and friends.

Talbot told the New Zealand Herald that seeing the life-changing effects of Lautzenheiser’s successful surgery has been hugely satisfying and rewarding.

“You really recognise you’re transforming a life dramatically.”

Talbot started out as a house surgeon at Tauranga Hospital before heading to New York in 2002 to further an interest in medical academic research at cancer hospital Memorial Sloan-Kettering.

He later began a plastic surgery training programme through Harvard University.

Original article by Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, November 26, 2014.

Photo by Reuters/Brian Snyder.


Tags: Auckland University School of Medicine  Boston  Boston Globe  Brigham and Women’s Hospital  double arm transplant  Hamilton  Harvard  Harvard University  Memorial Sloan-Kettering  New Zealand Herald (The)  Simon Talbot  Will Lautzenheiser  

Microbiologist Tanu Gupta Wins Basil Jarvis Prize

Microbiologist Tanu Gupta Wins Basil Jarvis Prize

Palmerston North AgResearch senior scientist Tanushree Gupta has received the Basil Jarvis Prize at the Applied Microbiology Awards, which was presented to her in London, AgResearch communications specialist Gred Ford writes…