Double Arm Transplant Patient Doing Better than Expected

By Anastacia Mott Austin

Karl Merk, 54, a German farmer who lost both arms in a combine accident six years ago, is demonstrating the amazing healing powers of the human body, after he received a double arm transplant earlier this year.

Merk’s doctors are impressed with his progress, and say there is evidence of new nerve growth in the transplanted arms. This is especially remarkable since the man was without arms for so long.

"All in all, our wildest expectations have pretty much been fulfilled," said Dr. Christoph Hoehnke, one of the lead doctors on Merk’s case.

A team of more than 40 doctors performed the transplant at the Munich University Clinic in Germany this July. The donor’s identity has not been released, but is said to be a car accident victim.

At this point in his recovery, Merk is able to open a door and turn a lightswitch on and off, and hopes to regain even more feeling in his new arms, though doctors say it could take as long as two years to determine what his full capacity will be.

Six years ago, Merk was working on his farm and saw that the corn shredder had stopped working. "The corn-shredder seemed to be broken and I wanted to check what was wrong," he told reporters. "But the machine suddenly started up again as I was looking at it. It was raining on that day and I slipped. I got one arm stuck in the machine and, as a reflex, I tried to get it out with my other arm. It was all over after five seconds."

Discovered by a co-worker, Merk reportedly shouted "Kill me!" as he was being rescued.

However, he said that over time, he came to accept his disability. "At first it was very hard but I lived without arms for six years, and now nothing can get me down," says the determined man.

The case marks the first time such an extensive limb transplant has been carried out. Previous transplants have included hands and lower arms, though doctors say that the presence of an elbow joint presents additional challenges for the circulatory system, especially one that has not been functional for six years.

So far, Merk has not shown any signs of rejection, though doctors are monitoring him closely. He is still hospitalized, and will remain so for another four to six weeks, and faces years of intensive physical therapy.

This news does not seem to get Mr. Merk down at all. In fact, he says he can’t wait to get started, and wants to eventually have full use of the arms, and one day ride his motorcycle again. But for now, he’s just happy to "feel like a whole person again."

Said Merk to the press, "It was really overwhelming when I saw that I had arms again."