A double arm transplant for U.S. Army vet
Reuters
2013-01-30
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A new lease on life for Brendan Marrocco.
The army sergeant lost four limbs in a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2009. Now he is on the mend following a double arm transplant.
. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DOUBLE ARM TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT BRENDAN MARROCCO SAYING:
"I just want to get to the point that I can be completely on my own and get back to enjoy life."
Double-arm transplant surgery is rare. This was the first successful procedure of its kind to be conducted at Johns Hopkins, in Baltimore, Maryland. Marrocco is also the first U.S. soldier in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to survive losing all four limbs.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) DOUBLE ARM TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT BRENDAN MARROCCO SAYING:
"You know I never really accepted the fact I didn't have arms so now that I have them again it's almost like it never happened. It's like I went back four years and I'm me again. It's awesome."
The rare surgery took 13 hours and involved 16 doctors who all volunteered.
The army sergeant lost four limbs in a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2009. Now he is on the mend following a double arm transplant.
. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DOUBLE ARM TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT BRENDAN MARROCCO SAYING:
"I just want to get to the point that I can be completely on my own and get back to enjoy life."
Double-arm transplant surgery is rare. This was the first successful procedure of its kind to be conducted at Johns Hopkins, in Baltimore, Maryland. Marrocco is also the first U.S. soldier in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to survive losing all four limbs.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) DOUBLE ARM TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT BRENDAN MARROCCO SAYING:
"You know I never really accepted the fact I didn't have arms so now that I have them again it's almost like it never happened. It's like I went back four years and I'm me again. It's awesome."
The rare surgery took 13 hours and involved 16 doctors who all volunteered.
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