A face transplant is a skin graft that involves replacing part or all of a patient's face with a donor face. Skin Graft is an influential contemporary no wave, noise rock, art punk, rock label based in Chicago. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Purpose

People with faces disfigured by burns, trauma, disease or birth defects might benefit from the procedure. Disfigurement is the state of having ones appearance, especially that of ones face, deeply and persistently harmed by a medical condition, such as wounds (accidental or intentional), disease, or a birth defect. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In medicine, a trauma patient has suffered serious and life-threatening physical injury resulting in secondary complications such as shock, respiratory failure and death. ... A disease or medical condition is an abnormality of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, distress, or death to the person afflicted or those in contact with the person. ... A congenital disorder is a medical condition or defect that is present at or before birth (for example, congenital heart disease). ...

The alternative to a face transplant is to move the patient's own skin from their back, buttocks or thighs to their face in a series of as many as 50 operations to regain even limited function and a face that is often likened to a mask or a living quilt.

Dr. L. Scott Levin, chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Duke University Medical Center, has described the procedure as "the single most important area of reconstructive research." This page is a candidate for speedy deletion because: it contains no encyclopedic content If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ...

History

Self as donor (face replant)

The world's first full-face replant operation was on nine year-old Sandeep Kaur, whose face was ripped off when her hair was caught in a thresher. The grass-cutting machine completely amputated her face and scalp. The machine caught one of Sandeep's braids and then pulled her head in. Sandeep's mother witnessed the accident. Sandeep arrived at the hospital unconscious with her face in two pieces in a plastic bag. The thrashing machine, or, in modern spelling, threshing machine (or simply thresher), was a machine first invented by Scottish mechanical engineer Andrew Meikle for use in agriculture. ... Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or surgery. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the face anteriorly and the neck to the sides and posteriorly. ... A braid Step by step creation of a basic braid using three strings To braid is to interweave or twine three or more separate strands of one or more materials in a diagonally overlapping pattern. ...

An article in The Guardian recounts: "In 1994, a nine-year-old child in northern India lost her face and scalp in a threshing machine accident. Her parents raced to the hospital with her face in a plastic bag and a surgeon managed to reconnect the arteries and replant the skin." [1] The operation was successful, although the child was left with some muscle damage as well as scarring around the perimeter where the facial skin was sutured back on. Sandeep's doctor was Abraham Thomas, one of India's top microsurgeons. In 2004 Sandeep was training to be a nurse. (Photos) The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... The thrashing machine, or, in modern spelling, threshing machine (or simply thresher), was a machine first invented by Scottish mechanical engineer Andrew Meikle for use in agriculture. ... Microsurgery is a type of surgery where an operating microscope is used. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article focuses on the education and regulation of nurses. ...

In 1997, a similar operation was performed in the Australian state of Victoria, when a woman's face and scalp, torn off in a similar accident, was packed in ice and successfully reattached.[2] 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ...

Yet another incident took place in 2005 when a woman's face was ripped off by a wolverine. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Marvel comics character, see Wolverine (comics). ...

Mouth and nose from another

The world's first partial face transplant on a living human was carried out on November 27, 2005 [3] by a team of surgeons led by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard (the surgeon who performed the first successful hand transplant in 1998) and Professor Bernard Devauchelle in Amiens, France. Isabelle Dinoire [4] underwent surgery to replace her original face that had been ravaged by her dog. A triangle of face tissue from a brain-dead human's nose and mouth was grafted onto the patient [5] [6]. November 27 is the 331st day (332nd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jean-Michel Dubernard is a medical doctor specializing in transplant surgery, as well as a Deputy in the current French National Assembly. ... A cardiothoracic surgeon performs a mitral valve replacement at the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. ... A hand transplant is a medical operation to transplant a hand from one human to another. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The cathedral in Amiens Location within France Amiens is a city and commune in the north of France, 120 km north of Paris. ... Isabelle Dinoire, born 1967, was the first person to undergo a partial face transplant, after her dog mauled her in May 2005. ...

In April, 2006, the Xijing military hospital in Xian, China carried out a similar operation, transplanting the cheek, upper lip, and nose of a hunter who was mauled by a bear. [7][8]

Full face from another

To date, no full face transplants have taken place however several medical institutions are competing for the opportunity to carry out such pioneering surgery.

Scientists at the Utrecht University and the University of Louisville are seeking approval for an experimental face transplant operation to be performed in the Netherlands. Utrecht University (Universiteit Utrecht in Dutch) is a university in Utrecht, The Netherlands. ... The University of Louisville (also known as U of L, Louisville, or the Ville) is a public, state-supported university located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It is mandated [1] by the Kentucky General Assembly to be a Preeminent Metropolitan Research University. ...

In 2004 the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, USA, became the first institution to approve this surgery and test it on cadavers. A group led by Dr. Maria Siemionow, located at the Cleveland Clinic, is searching for its first patient. [9] 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cleveland Clinic is a prominent health care center in Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1921 by four prominent physicians, now with approximately 1,600 staff physicians providing for 2 million outpatient visits and 50,000 hospital admissions per year. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ... With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual, and contrasts with soul, personality and behavior. ...

In October 2006, surgeon Peter Butler at London's Royal Free Hospital in the UK was given permission by the NHS ethics board to carry out a full face transplant. His team will select four adult patients (children cannot be selected due to concerns over consent), with operations being carried out at six month intervals. [10] 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Royal Free Hospital is a large and modern London teaching hospital, United Kingdom. ... The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly-funded healthcare system of the United Kingdom. ...

Surgery and post-operation treatment

The procedure consists of a series of operations requiring rotating teams of specialists. With issues of tissue type, age, sex, and skin color taken into consideration, the patient's face is removed and replaced (including the underlying fat, nerves and blood vessels, but no musculature). The surgery may last anywhere from 8 to 15 hours, followed by a 10–14 day hospital stay.

After the procedure a lifelong regimen of immunosuppressive drugs is necessary to suppress the patient's own immune systems and prevent rejection. Long-term immunosuppression increases the risk of developing life-threatening infections, kidney damage, and cancer. The surgery may result in complications such as infections that would turn the new face black and require a second transplant or reconstruction with skin grafts. Psychological effects of the procedure may include remorse, disappointment, or grief or guilt toward the donor. Immunosuppression is the medical suppression of the immune system. ... ...

The transplant does not give the patient's face the appearance of the deceased donor's face because the underlying musculature and bones are different. Facial movements are due to the brain so the personality as expressed by the face remains that of the patient. Only the skin of the face is transferred from the donor, not the three dimensional shape nor the personality it expresses.

Popular culture

1960: The procedure was very grotesquely, yet somewhat accurately, highlighted in Georges Franju's 1960 cult horror masterpiece called Les Yeux sans visage which translates to "Eyes Without a Face". Georges Franju (April 12, 1912 - November 5, 1987) was a French filmmaker. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Cult film is a colloquial term for a film that has accrued a devoted group of fans. ... Eyes Without a Face (Les Yeux sans Visage) is a 1959 French film directed by Georges Franju and co-written by the duo Boileau-Narcejac Categories: Film stubs ...

1964: Kobo Abe, Japanese author and playwright, wrote The Face of Another (1964) about a plastics scientist who loses his face in an accident and proceeds to construct a new face for himself. With a new face, the protagonist sees the world in a new way and even goes so far as to have a clandestine "affair" with his estranged wife. This novel was made into a movie by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1966.-1... An author is the person who creates a written work, such as a book, story, article or the like. ... Template:Unsourced A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is someone who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... The Face of Another (他人の顔) (Tanin no kao) is a novel about face transplants written by the Japanese writer Kobo Abe in 1959. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... The protagonist or main character is the central figure of a story. ... Hiroshi Teshigahara (勅使河原 宏 Teshigahara Hiroshi, January 28, 1927 - April 14, 2001) was an avant-garde Japanese film-maker. ...

1990: In the 1990 movie Darkman, the central character Peyton Westlake grafts himself a synthetic face after his skin was burned in a lab accident. He uses this new material to disguise himself and hunt down the criminals responsible for his mutilation. This article is about the year. ... Darkman is the title of a 1990 film directed by Sam Raimi, starring Liam Neeson. ...

1997: The plot of the 1997 movie Face/Off was based on a face transplant operation that involved changing the underlying structure and actual face shape. In the film, the transplant is shown to be reversible, with the patient being able to replace his original face if desired. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Face/Off is a movie from 1997 directed by John Woo and starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. ...

2003: The villain in the movie Once Upon A Time In Mexico underwent a face transplant. Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) is an action film by Robert Rodriguez and the final film in the Mariachi Trilogy, which includes El Mariachi and Desperado. ...

2005: Facial transplant surgery was featured in a 2005 episode of Nip/Tuck. The patient's body rejected the face, and it had to be removed. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nip/Tuck is an American television drama series created by Ryan Murphy for FX Networks. ...

References

• University of Louisville Plastic Surgery Research
• UK Face Transplant Information Website
• Face transplants inch toward reality
• Face transplants 'on the horizon'
• Doctors say they're ready to perform face transplant
• New York Times
• BBC News - Woman has first face transplant

External links

Wikinews has news related to:

First face transplant performed on French woman

• BBC News - Q&A: First face transplant
• Saving Faces: The Facial Surgery Research Foundation
• CTV News - Face transplant woman goes public for first time