A former professor at Boston University is now recovering following a double-arm transplant. 40-year-old Will Lautzenheiser was approved for the bilateral arm transplant earlier this year after losing both arms and legs.

A former professor at Boston University is recovering following a double-arm transplant. 40-year-old Will Lautzenheiser was approved for the bilateral arm transplant earlier this year after losing both arms and legs.

His ordeal began in 2011 when he was diagnosed with streptococcal infection. Once he lost his limbs as a result of the illness, Lautzenheiser learned how difficult it was to do everyday things, like getting dressed.

Officials at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston learned of his case and decided the procedure would greatly benefit him. When the approval was given and an anonymous donor emerged, surgeons started making plans for the surgery to connect arteries, bones, tendons, muscles and veins.

Two separate surgical teams were required for each arm. The operation took place in October and involved the assistance of 35 clinicians, which included more than a dozen surgeons.

The surgery lasted nearly 9 hours. Said Lautzenheiser “To receive this gift is astonishing and life-changing. This is a matter of trust, and I trust all the doctors here with my life, literally, and I just had faith that it would work.”

Over the next few years, doctors expect his new arms will continue to gain sensation and function.