Barcelona Hospital announces successful pioneering face transplant

BARCELONA’S Valle d’Hebron Hospital has announced the successful completion of a pioneering type of face transplant, previously considered to be inoperable.

In an operation lasting 27 hours, they reconstructed two thirds of the patient’s lower face, neck, mouth tongue and pharynx.

The patient, who wasn’t identified, had a disease known as arteriovenous malformation, which led to a progressive deformation of tissues that affected his vision, ability to speak and was a potential a risk to life in the long term.

The operation, which was exceptionally complex, was performed in early February and involved a team of 45 nurses, physicians and professionals from departments including Plastic Surgery, Intensive Care, Liver Transplants and Anaesthesia. The patient is now at home, living a normal life and only comes into the hospital for regular check-ups.

This is the second successful face transplant that has been carried out at the Barcelona Hospital, the first being completed in 2010.