First U.S. full face transplant done in Boston

Subject: First U.S. full face transplant done in Boston Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:30 pm

A 25-year-old Texas man has received the first full face transplant done in the United States, Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital said on Monday.

More than 30 physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists and residents worked for more than 15 hours to replace the nose, lips, facial skin, muscles of facial animation and nerves of Dallas Wiens, disfigured in an electrical accident in 2008.

"The pioneering achievement accomplished by the entire transplant team is a gift made possible by the most selfless act one human being can do for another, organ donation," said hospital president Betsy Nable. The hospital did not release the name of the donor.

The surgery was performed last week on Wiens, who had virtually all his facial features burned off by contact with a high-voltage wire. It was the second face transplant procedure done at Brigham and Women's, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

Wiens remains in the hospital but has woken up fully, has chatted on the phone with family and is walking, doctors said of his progress.

They expect him to be eating soon with the next major milestone being his return home to Texas. Wiens is expected to regain most of the sensation of his forehead and cheek on the right side, but less so on the left part of the cheek and forehead where damage was more severe, surgeons said.

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First U.S. full face transplant done in Boston

First U.S. full face transplant done in Boston

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