A 54-year old farmer who underwent a full double arm transplant in a Munich hospital in August this year, spoke in a press conference about the success of the operation.

Karl Merk, a dairy farmer, lost both his arms in a work accident six years ago. When two attempts at prosthesis were unsuccessful, he approached the Munich University Clinic for advice on transplants.

His search for a donor ended after three months and then he was operated upon by a 40-strong medical team.

Christoph Hoehnke, the head of the medical team, was upbeat on Merk's further improvement. 'He is healing exactly according to the timeline we had, which has almost fulfilled our wildest dreams,' he said.

Merk is recovering well two months after the operation and able to perform some basic tasks, though doctors expect it could take up to two years before he relearns how to use his hands.

Doctors said there were good indications of nerve growth in the arms, which was the criterion for the success of the transplant.

Merk still needs to spend four to six weeks at the hospital going through an intensive program of physiotherapy, electric stimulation and psychological counseling.

Doctors do not rule out the risk of Merk's immune system rejecting the new limbs, though till now there have not been any symptoms to suggest rejection.