Marathon surgery yields world's first full face transplant

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A team of surgeons in Barcelona have successfully carried out the world's first full face transplant on an unnamed man who had accidentally blown off part of his face with a gun years before.

The surgery, which took 24 hours and involved a team of 30 medical professionals at V'all d'Hebron hospital, is the first of its kind. Previously publicized breakthroughs in facial reconstruction were only performed on part of the face.

"The patient has scars on his forehead and his neck, but they will become invisible in the near future," said Dr Joan Pere Barret, the hospital's head of plastic surgery.

In the meantime, the unnamed man will be able to reduce their visibility through the use of silicone gel sheeting and ointments.

There is still a chance that the man's immune system will reject the transplant. He will be at a higher risk for cancer and diabetes and will have to take powerful medication for the rest of his life to counteract the effects of the surgery.

The transplant was made possible by a donor who had died in a car accident. Surgeons essentially took his face, including bones and skin, and installed it on the patient.

Relatives of the man say his new face is a hybrid of his old one and the donor's. The man, a farmer, previously underwent nine surgeries but still had trouble breathing, speaking, and swallowing.

The transplant has restored his ability to function. And the use of silicone-based scar treatments will have his appearance improved quickly and easily.

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