Four French medical teams have implanted the shoulders and arms of a 48-year-old man of Icelandic descent, in what was described as a global precedent.

The "bilateral arm transplant", which was performed at the Edward Heriot Hospital, took 15 hours and "required the mobilization of many public and private medical and nursing teams in Lyon," according to the Hospices Civils de Lyon statement.

A hospital spokesman said that the patient is in stable condition after this long operation, adding that this operation "as we know is a precedent in the world. Previous arm transplants did not include the shoulders."

According to local media, this 48-year-old patient had his upper limbs amputated after an electric shock when he was 26 years old.

On Wednesday, January 13th, the Icelandic man became the first patient in the world to receive a shoulder and arm implant during the operation in Lyon.

The operation particularly included teams from the Clinique du Parc in Lyon, the Nord-Ouest Hospital in Villefranche-sur-Saône, the private Jean-Mermoz Hospital in Lyon, and the Lyon-Villeurbanne Medipôle Hospital. Patient care will continue between Edouard-Herriot Hospital and Henry-Gabrielle Hospital at Hospices Civils de Lyon.

Source: Le Parisien

By:Nadeemy Haded