Scleroderma: what is condition that led to man from Glasgow having double hand transplant?

Steven Gallagher, 48, has been given a ‘new lease on life’ following his double hand transplant.

Gallagher, from Dreghorn in Ayrshire, had to give up his job working for a roofing company after Scleroderma, an autoimmune condition caused him severe pain.

It was around 13 years ago when Steven first started showing symptoms of Scleroderma after developing an unusual rash on his cheeks and nose, as well as suffering with pains in his right arm.

Now, Steven Gallagher has been given a second chance, and been a part of what’s thought to be the world’s first double hand transplant.

“It has given me a new lease of life,” Gallagher said as he spoke about the transplant.

“I’m still finding things hard just now but things are getting better every week with the physio and the occupational therapists, everything is just slowly getting better” he added.

“The pain is the big thing. The pain before the operation was horrendous, I was on so much pain relief it was unbelievable, but now I’ve no pain at all.”

Gallagher spoke on his experience with the condition: “my hands started to close, it got to the point where it was basically two fists, my hands were unusable, I couldn’t do a thing apart from lift things with two hands,”

“I could not grab anything, it was a struggle to get dressed and things like that.

However, Gallagher was initially wary of the surgery when Professor Hart at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow first suggested it, due to the risks.

“When Prof Hart in Glasgow mentioned to me about a double hand transplant, at the time I laughed and thought that’s space-age kind of things”

“My wife and I spoke about it and came to the agreement to go for it. I could end up losing my hands anyway, so it was just a case of letting them know I was going to go with it.”

So, what is Scleroderma and what have the experts said on this groundbreaking surgery?

Here’s everything we know so far.

What is Scleroderma?

Scleroderma is caused by the immune system attacking the connective tissue under the skin, and around internal organs and blood vessels.

The condition can cause scarring, and thickening in the areas it affects.

When was the surgery?

The operation took place in December 2021. The surgery took around 12 hours at Leeds teaching hospital NHS trust.

Gallagher spent the next four weeks in hospital and has undergone physiotherapy and close monitoring since then. Now almost six months down the line, Steven said that he is doing well and grateful.

“At the moment it’s all about learning how to use my hands and starting afresh,” he said.

“I am starting from square one, picking things up and trying to use buttons. Gradually I have been picking them up and being able to do things.”

“I’m able to do more now than I was before with my hands the way that they were. Obviously I’m not even halfway through my journey yet but it’s looking promising” he added

Steven added that his wife and children have been his ‘rock’ throughout the procedure: “my family have been my rock, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help of my wife and my three girls. It’s been great.”

What have experts said about the transplant?

Professor Simon Kay who works at Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust spoke on the surgery and called it a ‘team effort’ with around 30 health professionals involved.

Kay elaborated on the groundbreaking surgery saying that: “having a hand transplant is very different from a kidney or other organ transplant, as hands are something we see every day and we use them in so many ways.

“For this reason, we and our expert clinical psychologists assess and prepare patients, in order to be sure that they will be able to cope psychologically with the permanent reminder of their transplant, and the risk the body may reject the transplanted hands.”