Plastic surgeons in China have claimed success in regenerating an ear… on a patient’s arm!
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Plastic surgeons in China have claimed success in regenerating an ear… on a patient’s arm!
The man, identifying himself as Ji, lost his ear in a car accident a year ago. He is now waiting for it to grow so it can be reattached to his head.
“I thought I’m done and couldn’t see anyone in my life, I was in pain,” he said. “When I had to walk out, I would wear a hat to cover where I used to have the ear, for fear of scaring others.”
Guo Shuzhong, professor of plastic surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, said they made the ear with Ji’s cartilage.
He added: “We buried a dilator inside his arm three or four months ago. Then we injected a little water every day, which produced a lump on the arm… a piece of skin was made. The skin must be thin, since only if it is thin enough can it be carved into a good shape. With the skin available, we made a cut along one side of his chest and took out three gristles from there. Then we did carvings, modelling from the ear he has, and we put the ear-shaped carving inside the lump.”
Ji said: “It was a great job. I’m so grateful to Professor Guo. Now I’m eager to see it grow faster so the doctors can plant it back on my head.”