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Milestones and Advancements in Medicine

Milestones and Advancements in Medicine (Medical Knowledge) in which Dr. Wendt was the lead investigator and author

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Skin Transplantation

 

In 1986, Dr. Wendt started a long term study to test his hypotheses that human skin could be transplanted from the same donor, at the same time, an organ, a kidney in this study, to the same recipient to see if there would be a correlation, between rejection and non-rejection of the skin and the kidney and to see if human skin would survive indefinitely while the recipient of the skin and the kidney were taking the usual immunosuppressant dosages used for kidney transplantation.  At that time, based on animal studies, it was thought skin was too antigenic to survive with the usual kidney transplant immunosuppressants and would be rejected.

 

This 18-year study showed there was a 100% correlation of rejection and non-rejection of the transplanted skin and kidney and the skin would survive indefinitely with the same immunosuppressants used for kidney transplantation. The sentinel skin acted as a window through which the response of the immune system to the skin and the kidney could be seen and easily biopsied. The early results of the study were first published and presented in 1991 (see Publication 1) and (see Publications 2,3,4,5).

 

Human skin of an abdominal wall transplanted at the same time as abdominal organs is used now to monitor rejection of the transplanted organs.  There is more to be studied in regards to monitoring rejection of different organs with skin transplantation with synchronous same donor same recipient skin-organ transplants.

 

This study provided strong evidence that structures containing skin, such as, a hand or face, could be successfully transplanted. I am greatly appreciative and honored that such great individuals contributed to this study and without them this study would not have been as successful. 

 

Dr. Joseph E. Murray, Nobel Laureate, performed the first successful organ transplant that started the field of transplantation, author of hundreds of articles, helped so many people and so much more.

 

Dr. Erle E. Peacock, first Chief of and Creator of the Department of Surgery at the University of Arizona, had special expertise and research in transplantation, wound healing, hand surgery, surgical education and so much more.

 

Dr. Paul Terasaki and Dr.Yoko Mitsuishi, Department of Pathology, UCLA Immunogenics Center, (formerly the UCLA Tissue Typing Laboratory),  performed all the skin tissue typing.

 

The following authors contributed to this study and made it possible.

  • Tom Ulich, MD

  • Ervin P. Ruzics, MD

  • Joyce R. Hostetler, RN, MSN

  • P. Nagesh Rao, Ph.D.

  • D. Pinkel, Ph.D.

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Hand, Wrist and Forearm Cosmetics

 

Dr. Wendt was the first to develop, perform, and publish surgical excisional treatment, a cosmetic operation, to improve the appearance of the top of the aged hand wrist and forearm.

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Thumb Reconstruction

 

Dr. Wendt authored an article describing a new method for reconstruction of a thumb after loss of the thumb from trauma. He used a bone-joint-tendon graft from a cadaver donor with coverage from the patient’s own tissue; an operative reconstructive procedure developed in which immunosuppression would not be necessary.

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Skin Grafting

 

Dr. Wendt developed, described and authored a new and better excellent skin graft donor site for a very common hand problem, i.e., loss of skin caused by trauma to fingers, and the palm of the hand.

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Treatment of Complex Postoperative Lumbosacral Wounds

 

Dr. Wendt developed a new surgical treatment for complex postoperative lumbosacral wounds in non-paralyzed patients and was the first author of a published article in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to describe this procedure and the outcome.

 

For other first in the advancement of medical knowledge, see Publications

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