Face transplant man gets new face

So far the most complete face transplant completed

03/28/2012

As part of the largest facial transplant to date, a team of multidisciplinary physicians at the University of Maryland Medical Center has restored the face of a 37-year-old American.

With the help of more than 150 nurses, Professor Eduardo D. Rodriguez and his team gave 37-year-old Richard Norris a completely new face, including both jaws, teeth and tongue, in a 72-hour operation. As the University of Maryland announced, this was the most extensive facial graft ever performed.

Face transplantation with new jaw, new teeth and new tongue
According to the University of Maryland, the face of the transplant recipient was injured in 1997 with a firearm. Since then, „several rescue and reconstructive operations“, but the loss of nose and lips and the damage to the mouth could not be resolved, the University reports. In the course of an extremely complicated operation, the multidisciplinary team of doctors led by Prof. Rodriguez has now accomplished what was previously unimaginable for Richard Norris. In painstaking detail work, the physicians constructed a new face for him, with a new jaw, new teeth and a new tongue. „We used innovative surgical practices and computer-assisted techniques“, as possible „to transplant exactly“, explained Dr. Rodriguez. The procedure included transplantation „All facial soft tissues from the scalp to the neck, including the underlying muscles included“ such as „the sensory and motor nerves“, not only to restore the function and the feeling, but also „aesthetically pleasing results“ according to the head of the multidisciplinary medical team.

Interdisciplinary cooperation crucial for the success of facial transplantation
An essential prerequisite for the success of the most extensive facial transplantation to date was, according to Dr. Rodriguez the composition of his team of plastic and reconstructive surgeons „with special education and experience in craniofacial surgery and reconstructive microsurgery.“ Albert E. Reece, Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland, added that the face graft „a perfect example of the options“ be the doctors the „Patients can provide, if the expertise of our research and clinical teams“ be bundled. Thus, the team benefited greatly from the experience of those involved in the treatment of ballistic injuries with high shooting speed in the facial area. But also the knowledge of the participating scientists and physicians from the department of „Transplant surgery Maryland, who have explored ways to reduce and minimize rejection of donated organs“, were of considerable benefit, according to the University of Maryland. Professor of Traumatology, Thomas M. Scalea, also involved in the operation, explained that facial transplantation in the „Shock Trauma Center“ took place at the Medical Center of the University of Maryland because targeted here „built an infrastructure for multidisciplinary care“ was and „a project such as the face transplantation multidisciplinary collaboration between numerous clinical services“ requires.

Successful facial transplantation is the culmination of years of research
In the article „University of Maryland completes most extensive full-face transplant to date“ Prof. Stephen T. Bartlett, chair of the Department of Surgery at the School of Medicine, University of Maryland, points out that the study has now been completed „Performance the culmination of more than 10 years“ Research was. Currently, the recovery of Richard Norris progress well and the 37-year-old already has feeling in the face, can brush his teeth and shave, the University of Maryland reported. After the successfully completed face transplantation, the patient now has every reason to hope for a return to normal life. Rodriguez and colleagues. (Fp)

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Picture: Martin Büdenbender