| On September 26, a team of plastic surgeons performed Turkey's first double arm transplant at the Akdeniz University Hospital in the southern province of Antalya. The operation was carried on Cihan Topal, a worker who lost both arms below the elbow in a work accident two years ago.
The 28-year-old Topal spoke to reporters at the hospital and said, "I feel like I was reborn here."
Topal's stitches have been removed and he started physiotherapy treatment. Topal said he was recovering very fast.
Topal was asked how he was feeling his hands during his chat with reporters. It was really difficult for him to explain that feeling.
"How can tell it? It is like when your feet go numb while you are sitting or it is like a tingling sensation. I feel that in my fingers. And it is fantastic to feel that way," Topal said. "When I totally heal, I will drive my car and ride my bike. Doctors told me that these hands will completely be mine from six months now."
His doctors confirmed what he had already been told. Physiotherapist Kadriye Tombak said there were minor movements in Topal's fingers.
"We started to work with his thumbs and little fingers. He bends and moves his fingers up. However, we cannot say a specific time for a full recovery," Tombak said. "He is on a rehabilitation program. I think it will take one to one and a half years." |
