A two-year-old boy is recovering after surgery to remove his extra fingers after he was born with six on each hand.

The unnamed tot from the city of Xi’an in Shaanxi Province in central China was born with 12 fingers.

Photos show how the diminutive extra fingers were attached to his thumbs and even had their own nails.

According to his mother, Ms Liu, the youngster suffered from low self-esteem because of his extra digits.

He never played with other toddlers because he was embarrassed about his six-fingered hands, which frightened the other children.

However, Ms Liu hopes her son will now shed his old inhibitions following the successful operation carried out under the direction of Dr Cui Ziqiang, director of the Paediatric Orthopaedics Department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Medical College.

Dr Ziqiang and his team carried out the procedure in under an hour and the youngster is now recovering at home and is doing well.

The doctor recommends that medical treatment is promptly sought for any child whose limbs are abnormal.

He says that surgery in adulthood may impact the appearance, and delaying surgery until adulthood may have a negative impact on the child’s mental health.