After surgery, when they get to the recovery area, they see this thing attached to them, this hand. The first thing I have them do is move their fingers. I say, "Move your thumb, move your index finger" — by the time we get to the pinky finger, I'm usually in tears, and then I look at them, and they're usually in tears too.
So it's emotional for you too?
Definitely. I remember the first transplant I did. For almost a week after, I couldn't sleep because I was so excited, because of my sheer joy. There are very few times in one's life when you can be involved in something that really transcends the mundane day-to-day. That was one of those times. We're really pushing the frontiers of science and medicine.
