When Luka Kriszanac walked back into Penn Medicine to reunite with the team who had performed his life-altering surgery, the atmosphere was filled with joy, handshakes, and heartfelt smiles. For most, such a reunion might be routine.
But in Kriszanac’s case, the moment carried extraordinary weight—because those very hands he used to shake his doctors’ with were, until recently, not his own.
Now 29 years old, Kriszanac is one of only five individuals to receive a double hand transplant at Penn Medicine, one of the world’s leading centers in advanced reconstructive surgery. The procedure he underwent, known medically as a “vascularized composite allotransplantation,” is incredibly rare, technically complex, and life-changing.
A Childhood Tragedy, A Lifelong Dream
Kriszanac’s journey to this moment began with a devastating turn of events when he was just 12 years old. While living in Switzerland, an undiagnosed case of strep throat progressed into deadly sepsis. The infection ravaged his body so severely that doctors were forced to amputate both of his legs and hands to save his life.
“Regaining hands after 17 years, I don’t think there is a bigger dream than that,” he told CBS News. Reflecting on the anonymous donor who made this miracle possible, he added, “they changed not just my life but my family’s life forever, and for that, we are deeply grateful.”
Discovering Hope Across the Atlantic
In 2018, years after losing his limbs, Kriszanac discovered Penn Medicine’s hand transplant program and began a rigorous evaluation process to determine if he would be a viable candidate. The process involved not just physical assessments, but also psychological readiness and lifestyle planning, as such a transplant demands a lifetime of medical follow-up and rehabilitation.
Leading his care were two of the program’s top surgeons, Dr. L. Scott Levin, Chair Emeritus of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and professor of plastic surgery, and Dr. Benjamin Chang, associate chief of plastic surgery. The duo would eventually guide Kriszanac through one of the most complex surgeries of their careers.
“You do 1,001 activities every day with your hands. Prosthetics cannot simulate or replace that. Our team is very proud of the many things we’ve done as ‘firsts,’” said Levin to Penn Today, who has helped pioneer hand transplantation in the U.S.
“The first child. The first transatlantic vascularized composite allotransplantation. The first in a patient with no lower extremities. The first woman to have hand transplants who later gave birth to a baby.”
Pandemic Setbacks and a Long-Awaited Match
Though the evaluation process began in 2018, the journey to surgery was anything but smooth. The global COVID-19 pandemic brought significant delays, including government-imposed restrictions on hospital procedures. It wasn’t until 2024 that the right donor finally emerged, thanks to the coordination of the Gift of Life program.
Finding a suitable donor for hand transplantation is especially difficult. The match must not only align with blood type and immune compatibility, but also match in skin tone, age, muscle structure, and bone density. The goal is to reduce the chance of rejection and to achieve natural function and appearance.
Ten Hours That Changed Everything
One autumn night in 2024, Kriszanac’s dream became reality. Inside a Penn Medicine operating theater, two surgical teams worked in tandem. One prepared Kriszanac for the new limbs, while the other carefully retrieved the donor’s hands.
The surgery lasted 10 hours. When Kriszanac woke up later that day, he was stunned.
Since that transformative night, he has steadily regained function in his new hands through intense rehabilitation. Today, he can perform everyday tasks many take for granted: typing on a smartphone, eating independently, holding objects like cups and balls, even pushing up his glasses. Most remarkably, he can feel temperature—hot and cold—through his new hands.
A Lifelong Partnership in Healing
Despite the success, the transplant journey doesn’t end in the operating room. Kriszanac will continue to work with Penn Medicine for the foreseeable future, managing the risks of rejection, maintaining immune system balance, and navigating long-term therapy. That lifelong connection, according to Levin, is part of the commitment the medical team makes from day one.
“When we take this on, we are their doctors and caregivers forever,” Levin said. “If they have a problem with rejection or another medical problem, we’re the first to hear about it, and we spring into action. And everybody on every team has that level of commitment, from transplant to nutrition, to coordinators to nurses and therapists.”
Now living back in Zurich with his family, Kriszanac maintains close ties with his surgical and rehabilitation team in Philadelphia. His return visit to Penn Medicine in June was marked by warmth, gratitude, and celebration.
A New Chapter of Possibility
Kriszanac’s story is one of unimaginable loss, remarkable medical innovation, and the power of human resilience. What began as a tragedy has evolved into a testimony to science and hope—a future made tangible through the kindness of a donor family and the dedication of a world-class medical team.
From the operating room to the rehabilitation gym, from Zurich to Philadelphia, the journey of Luka Kriszanac stands as a testament to what is possible when courage meets compassion, and when medicine dares to reach beyond the limits of what was once thought possible.
See more about this transformative surgery in the video below:
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