U.S. soldier survives double arm transplant

　　WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- A former U.S. soldier who became a quadruple amputee three years ago has received a double arm transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, the hospital said Tuesday.

　　Brendan M. Marrocco, a 26-year-old infantryman lost four limbs in a 2009 roadside bomb attack in Iraq. Last month, he had the operation performed by a special team led by Johns Hopkins surgeon Andrew Lee.

　　Marrocco also received the bone marrow cells from the same deceased donor who provided him new arms. The innovative treatment helps his body prevent rejection of the new limbs with minimal anti-rejection drugs, which can cause infection and organ damage.

　　It is the hospital's first bilateral arm transplant while Marrocco becomes one of seven people in the United States who have undergone successful double hand transplants, according to the hospital's news release.

　　Marrocco agrees to participate a study of the new anti-rejection regimenm. With funding from the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine of the U.S. Department of Defense, Lee hopes the study can make the new standard of care for limb and face transplants.

　　新华网华盛顿1月29日电――美国约翰斯?霍普金斯医院29日举行新闻发布会宣布，该院上月为一名失去四肢的前美军士兵实施罕见的双臂移植手术，这也是迄今美国境内完成的最复杂的肢体移植手术。

　　这名患者名叫布伦丹?马罗科，现年26岁。2009年，他在伊拉克执行任务时因路边炸弹爆炸而失去四肢，其获得的双臂由一名死者捐赠。

　　去年12月18日，在知名外科医生安德鲁?李的领导下，一个医疗团队利用能避免排异反应的创新疗法为马罗科实施了长达13个小时的手术。医生们为马罗科实施了骨骼、血管、肌肉、肌腱、神经以及皮肤连接，并向其注射来自捐赠者下脊椎的骨髓细胞，从而将所需使用的抗排异药由3种降为1种。

　　在移植手术中减少使用抗排异药对患者有益，因为这类药通常有副作用，能导致感染、器官损伤甚至癌症。手术完成至今，马罗科体内未发生排异反应。这也是美国迄今第七例成功的双手或双臂移植手术。

　　马罗科目前已同意参加一项由美国军方可再生医学研究所资助的抗排异反应研究，安德鲁?李则希望这项研究能为今后的肢体和脸部移植手术护理设立新标准。