This is sounds somewhat crazy, amazing and a tad bit disturbing all together.
A man in Germany has received the world’s first complete double arm transplant.
Karl Merk, a farmer, said he was shocked and then overjoyed when he woke up from surgery to find that he once again had arms!
Three months after surgery, a press conference was held yesterday, Wednesday, where the 54 year-old Merk said, “It was really overwhelming when I saw that I had arms again.”
He wore a sleeveless black shirt which showed very clearly where the new arms had been grafted.
Can you imagine waking up and having a dead person’s arms on your body?????
Insane!!!!
Merk added, “These are my arms, and I’m not giving them away again.”
The operation took place at the Munich University Clinic and lasted over 15 hours. They needed a total of 40 surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and support staff to carry out the operation.
As for Merk losing his arms, that happened when he was injured in a combine harvester accident.
Merk can already perform simple tasks such as turning lights on and off and can even open doors.
Thankfully the doctors say there is no sign of his body rejecting the arms so far.
Merk ultimately hopes to be able to dress himself and eat, eventually maybe even ride a motorcycle.
NOOOO! No riding in motorcycles with those arms!
Doctors say it can take up to two years before he relearns how to use his hands, though.
Christoph Hoehnke, one of the lead doctors, said “All in all, our wildest expectations have pretty much been fulfilled.”
Amazing!
Will they be able to do brain transplants one day????
[Image via AP Images.]
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