Case History

In the late 1980s, fresh out of high school in the upper peninsula of his home state of Michigan, John German was a young man just starting to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Working in the food service industry seemed like as good a career as any. Teaming with an older couple, he opened a restaurant and, although he had not been scholastically inclined in high school, was contemplating attending culinary school to further his career as a chef.

His life took a turn when he developed symptoms that affected his dominant left hand. The doctors struggled to determine what was causing the symptoms and a medical course of action to alleviate the worst of the condition. By the time a vascular surgeon determined that Mr. German suffered from thoracic outlet syndrome, it was too late. His hand was gangrenous and he had already endured many surgeries to try and relieve the pressure that a small congenital defect, a vestigial small cervical rib near his clavicle, was placing on a major artery going to his left hand. One of these surgeries was incredibly traumatic, wherein Mr. German almost lost his life.

He regained consciousness three days after that troubled operation. This crucial event marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life, with an alternate destiny and enormous gratitude at surviving his ordeal.

“Whatever they need to do to get me stable and if they need to take the arm, that’s fine,” Mr. German said of his thinking at that time. “I never looked back or said that there was anything that I can’t do. I’ve done more with one hand than I ever dreamed I could have done with two.”

In April 1987, during his 17th surgery, doctors amputated Mr. German’s left arm, mid-forearm. He was immediately given a temporary prosthesis and was enrolled in an in-patient rehab program. He was soon kicked out of rehab for trying to make his prosthesis, a hook, operate as his dominant hand. He rejected the idea that he couldn’t still be left-handed and subsequently taught himself to perform every day tasks, limited only by the restrictive nature of his prosthesis.

He had at one point worn a passive silicon hand that he liked the look of, but it was not functional so it did not suit his active lifestyle. The silicon cosmesis on his previous hand was constantly ripping, causing aggravation and incurring expense. On a routine fitting with his long-time prosthetist in Detroit, Michigan, he discovered a life-like cosmesis  created by LIVINGSKIN. An appointment with LIVINGSKIN clinician Tom Passero led to his discovery of Touch Bionics and the i-Limb Hand.

With 20 years of experience with upper-extremity prostheses, a career working with specialty medical devices, and always in pursuit of cutting-edge technology, Mr. German has expertise and a specialized interest in developments in prosthetics technology.

“As my clinician has said ‘finally, form meets function’,” Mr. German said of his early, brief experience with the i-LIMB hand. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to quickly understand this prosthetic device’s extensive, real-world capabilities!”

Mr. German believes it’s time for prosthetic technology “to blossom. My previous hand was no better than a wireless mechanical hook, whereas the i-LIMB Hand is a wireless bionic hand. Instead of a c-shaped pincher, with the i-LIMB hand, there is a lot of potential for a lot of grips that enable the user to do everything he needs to do.”

The loss of his arm altered the course of Mr. German’s life. Without this defining life event, he might never have gone to college, where he excelled academically, or graduate school, where he met the woman who is now his wife. He might never have entered his current career.

“Losing my arm helped to point me in the right direction,” Mr. German said. “Without that experience, I don’t know who I would be today. I’m blessed with what I have. I’m happy, I’m not limited. Life is good.”

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