Woman Who Had Man’s Hands Transplanted Onto Her Reveals The Surprising Changes She Experienced Post-Surgery

Eight years ago, at the age of 18, Shreya Siddanagowder lost both her arms below the elbow in a devastating accident while riding the bus.

Despite facing such a tragic event, instead of succumbing to self-pity - an understandable reaction - it has become a transformative experience for her.

Shreya Siddanagowder spoke to the MOHON Foundation, an Indian charity, about the incredible changes her hands have gone through. SANKET WANKHADE/AFP via Getty Images

After experimenting with prosthetic hands, Shreya expressed that they "didn't work for her." 

In 2017, she underwent a 13-hour transplant surgery conducted by an impressive team of 16 anesthesiologists and 20 surgeons.

The hands she received were donated by a 21-year-old who tragically lost his life in a bike accident.

In a 2019 Facebook video posted by the MOHAN Foundation, an Indian charity focusing on organ donation and transplantation, Shreya encouraged viewers to value their hands, emphasizing that they are "one of the greatest assets you can ever have."

Shreya Siddanagowder had both hands amputated after a bus accident, but had new limbs successfully transplanted. AFP

Shreya said: "I have been in a horrible bus accident, it was so horrible that I lost both my forearms just below the elbow in an accident."

"Prosthetic hands didn't work for me at all that's when I decided to op for a bilateral hand transplant and you know it's been almost two years since my surgery and I can do most of my work and I don't have to depend on anyone else."

"I feel like every person has the right to lead his or her life with some dignity."

She added: "I'm glad I got a second chance in my life and I couldn't have been more grateful."

"I'm first female in the entire world to have male hands I think you cannot make out I've got male hands because they have feminine features now."

Shreya Siddanagowder while she was still recovering from the transplant surgery. AFP

But what does she mean, and just how feminine are they now?

Shreya disclosed that her hands, donated by a man with a darker skin tone than hers, gradually changed complexion over time to nearly match her own - a transformation previously thought impossible.

According to Dr. Uday Khopkar, head of dermatology at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, doctors speculate that her body produces less melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color, compared to her donor's.

However, The Indian Express reports that further research would be needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Shreya Siddanagowder brushes her hair in a bathroom at her home in Pune, more than two years after transplant surgery for both hands. SANKET WANKHADE/AFP via Getty Images

But that wasn't the sole change; over time, her hands also gradually became slimmer.

Shreya added: "I used to always think the accident was something really bad and I was devastated at that time, the accident could have been the end of me but strangely enough it became the making of something new, better and beautiful I don't have any regrets."

An incredibly powerful story from an incredibly resilient woman.