Hull mum who was UK's first woman to get double hand transplant undergoing 'world first' treatment

Tanya Shepherd was the UK's first woman to receive a double hand transplant. Credit: MEN Media

The first woman in the UK to have a double hand transplant has undergone "world first" treatment to prevent rejection of the body parts.Tanya Shepherd, 48, lost both hands and three-quarters of an arm through sepsis brought on by ulcerative colitis – a condition which causes the colon to become inflamed – in early 2015.

While recovering in hospital, Ms Shepherd, a beauty therapist from Hull, watched a TV programme about the first woman to be put on the hand transplant register.

She then put herself forward and was chosen to begin the pioneering process at Leeds General Infirmary with a specialist team – the only one in the UK able to carry out the operation, and had the surgery in 2018.

Now, she has undergone therapeutic plasma exchange treatment after showing symptoms of her body rejecting the transplanted hands.

It is believed to be the first time globally that plasma exchange has been used to treat this type of rejection (antibody mediated rejection) in a double hand transplant patient.

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Ms Shepherd said she was "so grateful" to the teams supporting her treatment and plasma donors who make it possible.

"Rejection is a real and scary risk for any transplant recipient, but it is reassuring to know that there are treatments that can help," she said.

"I’m honoured to be the first to trial the plasma exchange for antibody mediated rejection in hand transplants.

"I encourage people to sign up to become an organ donor and to donate blood and/or plasma if they are able. I’m eternally grateful to those who already have, who have helped me on my journey.”Initial results suggest that the antibody levels have reduced significantly and Ms Shepherd's symptoms, which included swelling, reduced dexterity and changes in skin pigmentation have begun to improve.

She will now begin a different treatment in the hope of preventing antibody levels from rising again.

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