A man in India has become the recipient of a double hand transplant following a miraculous surgery.
Raj Kumar, who lost his hands and lower arms in a devastating train accident in October 2020, has undergone a remarkable transformation following an intense 12-hour surgery.
The surgery, hailed as a milestone in medical history, took place in January, and Kumar was discharged from hospital on March 7.
Recalling the traumatic incident, Kumar shared his ordeal with India Today, stating: "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."
While Kumar - a former painter - had resigned himself to a life without hands, a glimmer of hope emerged when Meena Mehta, a former administrative head of a prominent South Delhi school, tragically passed away and her family chose to donate her organs.
Dr. Mahesh Mangal, chairman of the Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, stated: "When we were looking for potential candidates for a hand transplant, Kumar was on our waiting list.
"As per transplant protocols, detailed examination and necessary investigations were done. In the 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," Dr. Mangal said.
The surgery, the first of its kind in north India, required a procedure where the medical team meticulously attached every artery, muscle, tendon, and nerve between the donor's hands and Kumar's arms.
Dr Swaroop Singh Gambhir told The Indian Express: "Once we selected the patient, and did the blood match we got to know he was the fit candidate for the patient. We took the hands and we fixed the bones first with plates and screws and we fixed the muscles and then artery and the nerve."
The generous donor, Mehta, had already helped to change the lives of three others after her kidneys, liver, and corneas were also donated.
While Kumar now has two functional hands, he will have to take immunosuppressants and anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life.
According to Dr. Mangal, it will take several months for Kumar to regain full sensation in his new hands as the nerves reconnect.
"He will also take some time, at least six to seven months, to start experiencing sensations like pain, heat, etc. After some time, even hair will grow on his hands despite him receiving a woman's hands," added Dr. Mangal.
The Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is the first in Northern India to receive permission to carry out hand transplants.
