Doctors grow man new ear on arm

Reporters take pictures of an "ear" growing on the arm of a patient who lost his right ear in an accident, at the first affiliated hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China, November 9, 2016. The growing "ear", which will be transplanted onto the patient's head in a following surgery, was taken from the patient's rib cartilage, cut into the shape of a ear and placed under the skin flap of the arm. (China Daily/via REUTERS)

An "ear" is seen growing on the arm of a patient who lost his right ear in an accident, at the first affiliated hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China, November 9, 2016. The growing "ear", which will be transplanted onto the patient's head in a following surgery, was taken from the patient's rib cartilage, cut into the shape of a ear and placed under the skin flap of the arm. (China Daily/via REUTERS)

A man in China who has gone without his right ear for the past year will soon have a new appendage after doctors grow the body part on his arm using part of his rib cartilage.

On Tuesday, a team led by Dr. Guo Shuzhong, a reconstructive surgery specialist, completed the second phase of a three-part reconstruction plan, China Daily reported.

In the first phase, doctors buried a skin expander under the skin of the patient, only identified as Ji. They then injected water into the area to expand the skin.

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This week, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University team took part of Ji’s rib cartilage and buried it under the expanded skin. Now, doctors will wait for the ear to grow completely to perfectly fit Ji’s head.

"The third phase of the operation, to transplant the new ear onto Ji's head, will be carried out in three or four months," Guo’s colleague, Shu Maoguo, told China Daily.

Ji told China Daily the ear growing on his right arm “looks exactly as the same as my old ear.”

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