The man with the largest hand in the world will be looking forward to a normal life after undergoing radical plastic surgery at Shanghai No. 9 People’s Hospital.

Liu Hua, a 24-year-old Jiangsu Province native, was born with a left thumb, index and middle finger much larger than normal.

Liu was suffering from a rare disease called Macrodactyly, a birth defect in which toes or fingers are abnormally large. The cause of the disease is unknown but bone and soft tissue grows at an extraordinary rate.

On July 20 surgeons began a seven-hour operation to reduce the size of Liu’s fingers and thumb. Doctors removed 5.1kg of flesh and bone in the procedure. A second operation is scheduled in six months to reshape his left arm and shoulder.