Doctor face transplant after 27-hour surgery

Spanish doctors successfully transplant a face

04/02/2015

In a 27-hour operation, the interdisciplinary team led by Joan Pere Barret, Head of Plastic Surgery at Vall d'Hebron Hospital, Barcelona, ​​successfully performed a facial transplant on a 45-year-old patient. Two-thirds of the lower face, including the neck, mouth, tongue and throat, were transplanted, according to the University Hospital's announcement.

According to information from the hospital, the facial transplantation took place at the beginning of February. The patient had been suffering from a massive arteriovenous malformation for 20 years, causing progressive tissue deformation - and thus his face. The 45-year-old has developed severe vision problems and speech problems due to his illness. In addition, the risk of life-threatening bleeding from the disease was significantly increased.

Facial transplantation is the only treatment option
According to the Vall d'Hebron Hospital, the patient had requested treatment at several internationally renowned hospitals such as the Mayo Clinic or the Harvard University Hospital, but they rejected the patient because his condition was considered inoperable. In view of the progressive malformation and severe bleeding of the patient, the physicians around Joan Pere Barret, however, were forced to act. Facial grafting was considered the only treatment option for the patient, and so the team of 45 experts from different departments in a highly complex operation has replaced a large part of the lower half of the man's face with a graft.

First facial transplant worldwide in 2010
After the successful operation, the development of the patient is good, according to the announcement of the University Hospital. Meanwhile, he is already at home and come only to check-ups in the hospital. The procedure is already the second successful face transplant at the Vall d'Hebron hospital. In April 2010, as part of the world's first full face transplant, the skin and muscles of the face, nose, lips, jaw, teeth, palate, and cheekbones were transplanted to plastic surgery by a young man, the University Hospital reports. A similar procedure succeeded a short time later also a medical team at the hospital in Créteil near Paris. (Fp)