A 37-YEAR-OLD man injured in a 1997 gun incident has been given a new face, teeth, tongue and jaw in what doctors say is the most extensive face transplant ever performed.
University of Maryland Medical Centre officials announced Richard Lee Norris was recovering well after last week’s surgery, beginning to feel his face, brushing his teeth and shaving. He had regained his sense of smell, which he also lost.
Lead surgeon Dr Eduardo Rodriguez said Mr Norris had spent 15 years living as a recluse, but that the transplant would now give him his life back.
“It’s a surreal experience to look at him. It’s hard not to stare. Before, people used to stare at Richard because he wore a mask and they wanted to see the deformity,” Dr Rodriguez said. “Now, they have another reason to stare at him, and it’s really amazing.”
This was the 23rd face transplant carried out since doctors began performing the procedure seven years ago.
This operation, at 36 hours, was the most extensive because it included transplantation of the teeth, tongue, upper and lower jaw and all facial tissue from the scalp to the base of the neck, Dr Rodriguez said. Because it included so much facial tissue, the incisions are farther back and less visible, he said.
The first full face transplant was performed in France in 2005 on a woman who was mauled by her dog. The Cleveland Clinic performed the first face transplant in the US in 2008.
The US department of defence has been funding some face and hand surgeries with the goal of helping wounded soldiers. More than 1,000 troops have lost an arm or leg in Afghanistan or Iraq, and the US government estimates that 200 troops might be eligible for face transplants.
Doctors said they hope to begin operating soon on military patients. – (AP)