A man who lost both his hands in a freak accident underwent 12 hours of surgery for India's first double hand transplant.
Raj Kumar underwent the ground breaking treatment in January and is finally set to be released from hospital today, March 7.
Kumar lost his hands and lower arms in a tragic train accident in October 2020.
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He'd been crossing some tracks near his home at the time of the ordeal when the 45-year-old man's bike got stuck.
As Kumar tried to free his bike, his hands were run over by an oncoming train.
He recalled to India Today: "I was limping due to a leg injury. I slipped on the tracks and my bicycle got stuck. I was trying to pull my bicycle with my hands when I was run over."
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While Kumar was expecting to live the rest of his days without any hands, the passing of Meena Mehta meant he had a second chance at life.
Mehta, a former administrative head of a prominent South Delhi school, was declared brain-dead by doctors and, before her death, she'd opted to be an organ donor.
Her family also expressed their wishes to donate her organs following her death and, with Kumar already on the waiting list, doctors went on to perform the life-changing surgery.
His surgery is the first of its kind in north India.
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"When we were looking for potential candidates for hand transplant, Kumar was on our waiting list," Dr Mahesh Mangal, chairman of the Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital recalled.
"As per transplant protocols, detailed examination and necessary investigations were done. In third week of January, a glimmer of optimism emerged for Raj Kumar when he got a call from the hospital."Mehta's organs haven't only helped Kumar; her kidney, liver and corneas have also been donated to three other patients in need.
Kumar's procedure took a whopping 12 hours and a huge team of surgeons to complete.
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The medical team had to attach every artery, muscle, tendon and nerve between the donor's hands and the recipient's arms.
While Kumar now has two hands again, he'll be on immunosuppressants and anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life.
It'll take a few months for the former painter to regain full sensation in his new hands as it 'takes some time for the nerves to reconnect'.
"He will also take some time, at least six to seven months to start experiencing sensations like pain, heat, etc," said Dr Mangal.
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"After some time, even hair will grow on his hands despite him receiving a woman's hands," he added.
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