Icelander Making Remarkable Recovery With New Arms

Guðmundur Felix Grétarsson, who received a first-of-its-kind transplant of both arms last week, is reportedly recovering well. Vísir reports that circulation has made its ways into his fingers, and by all indications his body is accepting the new limbs.

Guðmundur, an electrician by trade, lost both arms in a work accident on a high power line in 1998. He has been on the waiting list for this operation for five years.

Last week, this aim was made a reality, with new arms all the way up to the shoulders surgically attached—nearly 23 years after the accident, to the day—at Hôpital Edouard Herriot in France.

The operation itself is the first of its kind in the world, and is especially remarkable given how much time has passed between the accident and the surgery. He has been diligently reporting on his progress on Facebook, saying that this operation would not have been a success without the support of fellow Icelanders.

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