dr. higgins described the success with brendan morocco's miraculous surgery. a day behind ryan emmons surgery, the doctor is cautiously optimistic. the first five days are crucial just to keep ryan's limb alive. after that dr. higgins says it will be a long road to recovery. >> that's certainly one of the best parts of the job is the sense that you have made a huge difference in someone's life. >> reporter: dr. higgins will never have the exact same function as he did before the accident, but ryan emmons is a great patient, young, healthy and now their first concern is just to keep his arm alive and go from there. with a bilateral transplant on brendan morocco dr. higgins says they spent two years rehearsing on cadavers at the hospital. so so much work went into that surgery. >> it's microsurgery. it's so tiny. what's the prognosis on this? >> they're thinking more than a year. they'd find out the full functionality. they first need to figure out if the nerves will regenerate. it's looking good so far. so their hope is obviously that he will have a great amoun

dr higgins says your. nah it ain't nothing the doctor knows about, something i can't figure out myself. except maybe cause i found something i never had before something i want to hold on to. a place like this a feeling of quiet inside a new slant on things. ah i don't know -i'm talking screwy. no you're not, it makes me so happy to hear you talk like that. happy? fred i am beginning to find you again. [music] ah honey i'm all mixed i can't. you see i made a deal, well how could i know that i meet up with a girl like you. i rather cut my arm off than hurt you. [music] i like to puzzle it out for just a couple of minutes myself. its alright darling. [music] [music] [dramatic music] that was a very touching scene. what are you gum-shoeing around for. i have some nice news for you, do you remember i promised that if you'd help me get judge parker. i'd help you get smiley um hum. well i happen to keep my word even some other don't. i did everything you asked me. and bungled everything too, instead of ruining j

dr higgins says your. nah it ain't nothing the doctor knows about, something i can't figure out myself. except maybe cause i found something i never had before something i want to hold on to. a place like this a feeling of quiet inside a new slant on things. ah i don't know -i'm talking screwy. no you're not, it makes me so happy to hear you talk like that. happy? fred i am beginning to find you again. [music] ah honey i'm all mixed i can't. you see i made a deal, well how could i know that i meet up with a girl like you. i rather cut my arm off than hurt you. [music] i like to puzzle it out for just a couple of minutes myself. its alright darling. [music] [music] [dramatic music] that was a very touching scene. what are you gum-shoeing around for. i have some nice news for you, do you remember i promised that if you'd help me get judge parker. i'd help you get smiley um hum. well i happen to keep my word even some other don't. i did everything you asked me. and bungled everything too, instead of ruining j

[music] [music] [rotary dial] dr higgins please, do you know where he is?lease try to reach him and tell him to come to judge parker's apartment, its very urgent. (judge parker) barbara barbara. you have tears in your eyes what's the matter? nothing everything's fine now. [street sounds] well so long, funny i never thought people's faces looked so good. lot's of other things i never noticed before. if i'd only know the first trip around what i know now. when i get you down below i am going to take special pains with you, i'm going to introduce you to agonies undreamed of. i don't think you'll be so tough. no. nah cause you know why, cause you made a sap of yourself. you don't want your boys to know that. no big shot wants to look like a sucker before his own mob. now if i was made a trustee. this is sheer unblushing blackmail. you ought to know brother you ought to know. [music] [music] >> [indistinct chatter] >> right up in the stands. had a tight red dress on, big picture hat? anyway, every time i'd get an easy setup for a smash, i would look over at her.

[music] [music] [rotary dial] dr higgins please, do you know where he is?lease try to reach him and tell him to come to judge parker's apartment, its very urgent. (judge parker) barbara barbara. you have tears in your eyes what's the matter? nothing everything's fine now. [street sounds] well so long, funny i never thought people's faces looked so good. lot's of other things i never noticed before. if i'd only know the first trip around what i know now. when i get you down below i am going to take special pains with you, i'm going to introduce you to agonies undreamed of. i don't think you'll be so tough. no. nah cause you know why, cause you made a sap of yourself. you don't want your boys to know that. no big shot wants to look like a sucker before his own mob. now if i was made a trustee. this is sheer unblushing blackmail. you ought to know brother you ought to know. [music] [music]

dr. higgins was one of 15 surgeons to perform the first double hand transplant on an iraqi vet.we brought you that story yesterday. >> is a community, and all of us know the feeling of going on a call at 3 in the morning and then something happens. >> late this afternoon, princess -- and george's county police released their findings on the accident that had the beltway shut down for hours. a fire engine was responding to an accident call. police say the engine collided with a semi tractor trailer. the two trucks slid into the median and hit an suv. all seven people were hurt including a firefighter but emmons arms were cut off. so far the surgery was a success according to the doctors, but the coming days are critical. >> we are in a very watchful estate. >> there was great relief on behalf of the family of the firefighters as they stepped outside for a break. one member told me he is alive and he has both of his arms. the family had just celebrated his promotion to lieutenant when they were called here. as the surgeon engine, he said the next 72 hours will be critical. -- as t

dr. james higgins who worked on the double arm transplant is working on the injured firefighter after this morning's early crash. xa prince george's county volunteer firefighter the mains in the hospital after an early- morning crash. officials say just before 3 a.m. -- 3:00 a.m. the impact of the crash caused three vehicles to overturn. >> initial reports are the engine has been released from a previous accident on or near route 50 and the engine was in the process of returning when it was struck. three firefighters were taken to prince george's hospital where they were treated and released. three others, including the tractor-trailer driver were taken to the hospital. >> get them in here. >> for several hours, the crumpled pieces of the truck and trailer sat sideways on the beltway, the fire truck literally in pieces. >> while crews worked for several hours to clean up the crash, it caused major delays on the inner and outer loop of the beltway. normal commute? >> about 20 minutes aired >> -- minutes. >> how long have you been here footie five minutes. >> how long do you think it will ta

dr. higgins.e was part of the team of surgeons that performed a rare double-arm transplant on a former soldier last month. >> he was very well prepared for surgery. they had the patient stabilized. his part was very well prepared and it was placed onnize in a plastic bag, following all the protocols that we have in position for this time of injury. and he was brought into the operating room nearly immediately after he hit our doors. so the system worked very well. >> reporter: lt. emmo in the meantime s continue toss recovered in baltimore. his fellow firefighters are asking for the community's prayers. reporting live in lanam, jackie bensen, news4. >> i need something with a name and their address on it. >> this hidden camera video triggered a month-lounge a electric fraud investigation. we now know that congressman jim moran's son will not be facing charges. a project veritas member hmm posed as a volunteers and recorded the video. police announced the investigation is closed since the investiga

dr. james higgins, chief of the curtis national hand center. and dr. patrick bacil, director of micro surgery at walter reed national military medical center. please sit down. also in the room today, and please again, stand up, carisa coony our research manager. cindy cohen and kate knots, our transplant coordinators. mary grace hands sell, operating room nurse manager. jon: if you want to continue watching the news conference we'll have it streaming live on foxnews.com. doctors at john hopkins hospital in baltimore announcing they have down a double arm transplant on a very brave army soldier, brandon marrocco. he was the first american soldier to survive the loss of two arms and two legs. it happened in an ied explosion in iraq. it is an experimental surgery but doctors say he will be discharged from the hospital today after they transplanted donor arms. they hope that they will in essence take and that he will be able to gain more utility from those transplanted arms. it is a phenomenal story and he is a very brave veteran. patti ann: just incredibl