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A plastic surgeon in China has successfully grown an artificial ear on a man's forearm in a cutting-edge medical procedure.

Doctor Guo Shuzhong inspected the patient after he carried out the pioneering precedure [Photo: Chinanews.com]

The patient identified only as Ji lost his right ear in an accident a year ago and has been hospitalized since then in Xi'an, north China's Shaanxi Province.

Ji received multiple surgical operations to restore his facial skins and cheeks. However he couldn't accept the loss of his right ear.

So he found Dr Shuzhong, who works at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University.

Dr Guo, a renowned plastic surgeon, decided to use cartilage from the man's ribs and build the new ear. He expects to transplant the new organ to its rightful place.

According to the doctor, the reconstruction plan was divided into three steps.

In the first phase, doctors buried a skin expander in the patient's right forearm and regularly injected water to expand the skin.

In the second phase, doctors took part of the patient's rib cartilage and buried it under the expanded skin, this was successfully done on Tuesday.

In the third step, which is expected to be carried out in about four months, the doctors are set to move the fully grown ear from Mr Ji's arm to his head using the vascular anastomosis techniques.

According to Dr Guo, the most difficult part of the procedure is the second step which has turned out a success.

Dr Guo says they must wait for the ear to fully grow in order to make it perfect for the patient, so the transplantation is expected to take place in three to four months.

Ji looked at the ear growing on his right arm and said with a smile: "It looks exactly the same as my old ear."

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