Viral story about South African surgeon is from 2019

A story about a South African surgeon performing pioneering surgery on a patient with hearing loss has been widely shared on social media - but it is three years old.

In March 2019 Mashudu Tshifularo did successfully perform transplant surgery using ear bones made from 3D-printing technology.

The story was widely covered at that time and also published on the South African government’s website and by the University of Pretoria, where the doctor heads a department on diseases of the ears, nose and throat.

The team operated on a middle-aged male patient whose middle ear had been damaged in a car accident.

The post that recently went viral on Twitter had a link to a live audio conversation, indicating the user may have used the story about the surgeon to promote that.

Some Twitter users replied to the tweet, pointing out that it was old.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: Twitter