Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, India accomplished the city’s first successful bilateral hand surgery on a painter who had lost both his hands in a tragic train accident.
Raj Kumar, who lost his upper limbs following the accident back in 2020, was entirely unaware of the possibility of a hand transplant.
The 45-year-old found himself as the first patient in Delhi to undergo a bilateral hand transplant, bearing witness to the miracle firsthand.
However, hope emerged when the hands of Meena Mehta, the former administrative head of a prestigious South Delhi school, became available for transplant following her brain death.
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Woman Donates Her Hands
Mehta, during her lifetime, had pledged her organs for donation after she died, a generous move that gave the painter a new pair of hands.
Up to this point, her kidneys, liver, and corneas had positively impacted the lives of three other individuals.
The intricate procedure, that lasted over 12 hours, involved connecting every artery, muscle, tendon, and nerve from the donor’s hands to the recipient’s arms.
Dr. Anil Gupta, the lead surgeon heading the transplant team, expressed profound satisfaction with the outcome of the surgery.
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“This surgery exemplifies the remarkable advancements in the field of medical science and underscores the potential to transform lives through innovative interventions,” he remarked.
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Raj Kumar Life as a Painter After and Before Surgery
Kumar, who was the sole breadwinner for his family before the accident has two children and a wife.
“I have two children — a son and daughter and my wife. I was going somewhere for some work, and I had to cross the railway line on my bicycle,” he recalled.
Kumar said at the time he 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.”
Initially, he was transferred to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital and later moved to Safdarjung Hospital.
After a month-long stay, he was discharged from the hospital without any mention of the potential for a bilateral hand transplant, as per Kumar.
“During this period, I was unable to work, and my son stepped up to take on the family responsibilities,” he said.
“He works in a firm in Gurugram and was shouldering the family responsibilities while my wife was able to support during the difficult time when I had lost hope.”
Kumar further said that he was informed that he would be undergoing a bilateral hand transplant and that a donor was identified for it in 2023.
