Pictures of 'world-first' double arm transplant

The male patient, 54, was "doing well under the circumstances" after the 15-hour operation last month, said Dr Christoph Hoehnke, one of the lead surgeons at the Isar clinic in Munich.

Dr Hoehnke told reporters he was deeply moved as the wife of the amputee - his name is being withheld - went to his bedside after the operation and instinctively reached for his hands.

He said that she remarked: "They look just like they used to".

Five teams working in two operating rooms gathered at 10:00 pm the night of the operation, divided between the patient and the donor, who had died only hours before.