Transplant sees Kim go from being right handed to left

A woman who suffered a quadruple amputation has undergone a successful hand transplant in Leedsand revealed she is now left-handed.

- by Nicola Adam

Kim Smith, 64, lost all her limbs after contracting an infection and then getting sepsis while on holiday in Alicante in Spain in 2017. She was later put on a UK waiting list for a double hand transplant.

Kim under went a 14-hour long operation but sadly the right hand was not successful. However Kim, who was previously right-handed, said she was delighted to have a new, working hand - and is now naturally become left-handed.

This type of hand surgery is only carried out in the UK by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Kim's transplant was carried out by Professor Simon Peter Jabir Kay OBE, who said: "Hands are so much more than mechanical parts, they play an irreplaceable role in human communication and connection and so it is always an honour to be able to carry out such a life-changing surgery.