Shoulder Made From His Elbow

15-year-old Tom Lemm underwent surgery to remove his arm and shoulder due to a tumor. Surgeons then used bone and tissue from the amputated elbow to construct a new shoulder!

Professor Kay told the BBC: “The most awful thing for an upper limb reconstructive surgeon to do is to remove an arm – it’s a dreadful thing to do.

“But by using the bits that would be discarded, you can pluck a little bit of comfort.”

He said Tom’s new shoulder will be able to support an artificial limb. “This will be a tremendous advantage.”

Tom has battled cancer for three years. He hopes the success of his surgery will give hope to others. A hospital spokesman said this surgery was first performed in Japan, but Lemm’s case was a first for Europe. Link -via Arbroath