Oscar Gun accident victim shows off world's first full facial transplant
The first man ever to have a full face transplant appeared in public yesterday.
As he returned home from hospital four months after his ground-breaking surgery, the 31-year-old bravely showed his new face to photographers.
The Spanish farmer, known only as Oscar, had been horribly disfigured five years ago in a shooting accident.
This prevented him breathing normally and made it difficult to swallow or speak.
But after two years of planning, a team of 30 doctors started work on him in March, in an operation which was to last 24 hours.
The transplant, at a Barcelona hospital, included complete facial skin and muscles, eyelids, nose, lips, upper jaw, all his teeth, the palate, cheekbones and lower jaw.
As he was discharged, Oscar said: 'I'm very happy to be here and I wanted to express my gratitude to the hospital and medical team and to all donors in Spain, especially the family of the man whose face I received.'
Doctors at the Vall d'Hebron Hospital said Oscar's face does not resemble that of the donor, whose identity has not been revealed.
He has regained feeling in most of his face and is able to speak, drink liquids and eat soft foods.
His family said that he is looking forward to sitting down and eating a meal at home with them, and to hunting and fishing again, two of his favourite hobbies.
Oscar's sister, who was with him yesterday, said: 'We are very happy and content and very grateful to the hospital because now he can start his new life.
'He is looking forward to doing the normal little things in life again, the things we do every day without having any problems - things like walking down the street without people looking at him five times.
'He's looking forward to sitting down with his family and having a family meal.
'He's very comfortable with his face, he feels very good. He used to love hunting and fishing and he wants to hunt and fish again.'
Photographs of the patient before his surgery revealed the extent of his facial injuries from the accident. He was left with no nose and no upper lip and his lower jaw was shattered.
The operation, led by Dr Joan Pere Barret, involved doctors from 14 departments including plastic suroutgery and burns, infectious diseases, psychiatry and clinical psychology and microbiology and parasitology.
Just a few days after the operation, Oscar was able to admire his new face in the mirror. He was able to begin shaving shortly afterwards.
Movement is also returning. He can now move his eyebrows, upper eyelids, jaw and external cheek muscles.
Previous face transplants carried in France, Spain, the U.S. and China were only partial.
Isabelle Dinoire was the first to receive one in France, in 2005, after being savaged by her dog.
Doctors transplanted a triangle of facial tissue around her nose and the mouth including muscles, arteries and veins.
But in Oscar's case the entire face was transplanted, including the entire facial tissues, muscles and the eyelids.
He had suffered a number of setbacks including two acute rejections in the four months since surgery.
However, his doctors described Oscar's recovery as 'excellent'.
He is having speech therapy, physiotherapy and facial therapy to help him recover full movement in his facial muscles, which will take another 12 to 18 months.
He began a soft food diet a month ago and started speaking two months ago.
Like all transplant patients he faces the prospect of taking powerful drugs for the rest of his life to help prevent infection.
Dr Barret said: 'It was a very brave thing to face everyone today because he is a quiet man who wants to live a normal life.
'He has been very isolated and wants to do what all young men want to do. He is single, he wants to go out with his friends and have fun.'
Source:- Fox News
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