First ever partial face transplant!!!

Dr Jean-Michel Dubernard of Lyon from France have performed the first ever partial face transplant on a 38-year old woman whose face was severly disfigured by a dog attack. He is also the first surgeon who successfully carried out hand transplant.

The two surgical teams have grafted the nose, lips and chin from a donor who was declared brain dead.

However, the Ethics committee in France and England have already rejected the full face transplant until the more research is done on the various implications that may cause due to such a type of surgery - the committee is concerned about the effect of the long term use of the immunosuppresive drugs, the probability of graft being rejected leaving patient in worse condition than before the procedure, the development of the cancer from the immunity suppresing drugs given to the patient to prevent the graft rejection, and more importantly the psychological problems that patient may face in adjusting with the new identity.

At this point it is still unknown the extent to which the woman's face was disfigured before the operation, and how much of the donor's face and underlying muscles, blood vessels and tissues were transplated.

If the outcome of this procedure is satisfactory it will open new avenues of research in clinical research.

Cheers
Dnyanesh