"Early success at hand transplantation can be achieved with the use of currently available immuno-suppressive drugs, " he said.

BBC: Hand transplant 'a success'

"He's a young man with a tremendous amount of hope, and he's stubborn - stubborn in a good way, " said Dr Jaimie Shores, the hospital's clinical director of hand transplantation.

BBC: Brendan Marrocco, US quadruple amputee, gets new arms

"The next two to three years, Brendan's full-time job is doing hand therapy, six hours a day, every single day, once nerves grow in, " said Dr. Jaimie Shores, clinical director of hand transplantation at Johns Hopkins.

CNN: Iraq vet undergoes successful double-arm transplant