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Double hand transplant patient doing 'fantastic'

A man who received a rare double hand transplant about a week ago said that he can wriggle the fingers on both his new hands.

In his first public appearance, 55-year-old chiropractor Richard Edwards said he feels "fantastic," the Associated Press reported.

His hands were severely burned in a fire in 2006. He lost seven fingers after the accident but retained most of his original hands. This helped doctors route his existing nerves into the donor hands during the nearly 18-hour transplant procedure conducted at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Ky.

Edwards is only the third person in the United States to receive a double hand transplant, the AP reported. (HealthDay/ September 2010)

Read more:  First aid for burns

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