The first full face transplant of the world of a Spanish man has been revealed with a new look before the cameras.
The 31-year-old Spanish thanked the donor’s family and the surgeons who helped him get a new face in March at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona. The person’s entire facial muscles and skin including the lips and nose needed to be replaced as a result of a shooting accident. The doctors say that 90% of the facial functions can be regained.

Since the accident that occurred five years ago, the man had been unable to breathe, talk or swallow correctly. However, the man known as Oscar, still finds it difficult to speak with clarity and will also need few months of physical therapy. At the news conference he said, “Friends, I want to thank the hospital coordinators, the entire medical team, the family of the donor and most of all my family who are supporting me these days.”

A group of 30 experts performed the long operation of 24 hours on March 20 at the Hospital in Barcelona as nine previous operations didn’t succeed and thereafter a full face transplant was suggested. The operation process was led by Dr JP Barret where the team transplanted lips, nose, muscles, palate, maxilla, cheekbones, all teeth and the mandible with the help of plastic surgery and the techniques of micro-neurovascular reconstructive surgery. The operation was the first full face transplant in the world as the previously performed 10 operations were partial.

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