« My arms are moving, but my hands and fingers are like spaghetti. I have no control. »
A few months following his release from intensive care, Dr. Dominique Tremblay, a surgeon at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, offered him something incredible: to restore the use of his hands.
« That’s really hope. It’s being able to say: I now have the use of my arms. I am no longer quadriplegic, but paraplegic. It gives me chills just talking regarding it. »
How? The surgeon uses healthy nerves in Jeanne’s forearms to stimulate inactive nerves. She deflects them to revive the dead muscles of her hands.
A nerve transplant performed at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont.
Photo : Radio-Canada
The nerve is like an electrical cable that makes the connection between the brain and the body, including the muscles. Nerve impulses are electric currents.
Tremblay. Then, over time, everything will regenerate and work once more.”,”text”:”We will change the nerve impulse circuit. We will use a circuit that works to redirect it to a circuit that does not work, explains Dr. Tremblay. Then, over time, everything will regenerate and work once more.””>We’re going to change the nerve impulse circuit. We will use a circuit that works to redirect it to a circuit that does not work, explains Dr. Tremblay. Then, over time, everything will regenerate and work once more.
If the result will not be miraculous, the improvement will be radical. We are going to do nerve transfers to improve strength, but also to really have a stronger clamp [la dextérité de l’index et du pouce]. The three movements that we hope to give back to Jeanne are the right wrist extension, the pincer movement and more finger flexion strength
illustrates Dr. Dominique Tremblay.
It is truly a miracle of medicine. A surgery developed at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal allows paralyzed patients to regain partial use of their limbs. Danny Lemieux, from the program Découverte, followed a quadriplegic woman who is no longer a quadriplegic.
The operation took place this summer. The healing period is over. It will take two years for the nerves to regenerate and the brain to adapt to the new nervous circuit.
In Quebec, during the experimental phase, regarding ten patients, including Jeanne Carrière, were able to benefit from this surgery. The results were very encouraging. Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont therefore decided to offer nerve transfer.
Tremblay. Sometimes, we have candidates who unfortunately have a lesion that is too high. We are missing the right muscles to borrow and redirect them elsewhere.”,”text”:”Are all patients good candidates? No. Age is a bit of an issue because we know that regeneration is better when we are younger, explains Dr. Tremblay. Sometimes, we have candidates who unfortunately have a lesion that is too high. We lack the right muscles to borrow to redirect them elsewhere.””>Are all patients good candidates? No. Age is a bit of an issue because we know that regeneration happens better when we’re younger, explains Dr. Tremblay. Sometimes, we have candidates who unfortunately have a lesion that is too high. We lack the right muscles to borrow to redirect them elsewhere.
Dr. Dominique Tremblay, surgeon at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont
Photo : Radio-Canada
Jeanne’s operation took place six months ago. Already, the improvements are remarkable. She can chop vegetables and make a latte just like before. Recovering the use of his hands: his dream is on the way to becoming reality.
The report by Danny Lemieux and Behzad Adib is broadcast on the show Discovery Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ICI Radio-Canada Télé.
