A Sydney amputee will become the first in the world to have two robotic arms after he lost his limbs in a workplace accident.
The Iraqi refugee had to have his arms amputated after a bar he was holding hit high voltage power lines.
He required extensive skin grafts to his hips and shoulders but his arms could not be saved.
“I said to them, please don’t cut my arms off. Everyone thought I would die,” he told 9 News.
Ghanim Al Shnen fled Iraq in 2012 seeking a new life in Australia. He hasn’t seen his wife and three children for three years after they found refuge in Finland.
He is having his arms rebuilt by renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr Munjed Al Muderis, who also fled Iraq as a refugee.
“He had very extensive high voltage injuries. Losing his arms was a major setback for someone who was looking to start his new life again in a new country,” he told 9 NEWS.
The surgery involves inserting 10cm titanium rods into Al Shnen’s forearms, providing a link between Ghanim’s nerves and his robotic arms.
The connection of nerves, bone and muscle will allow him to control his prosthetic limbs using his mind.
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