First Full Face Transplant Recipient Appears On TV

by Jordan Yerman | July 26, 2010 at 08:45 am

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'Oscar' Appears on Spanish Television after Full Face Transplant

A 31-year-old man known only as 'Oscar' appeared on television after receiving a full face transplant. He is the first patient to receive such a radical treatment.

Oscar, a farmer, accidentally shot himself in the face in 2005. Surgeons placed an entire face onto Oscar's head, reconnecting muscles and adding teeth during a 24-hour marathon surgery session.

The face transplant operation took place at Barcelona's Vall d'Hebron Hospital in March, and the recovery time could take up to 18 months. Oscar is at constant risk of having his body reject the new face, but is expected to regain up to 90% of facial movement and functionality.

He is able to drink liquids and eat soft foods, and has been able to speak for the past two months, the hospital said in a statement. The patient also has regained feeling in most of his face and is partly recovering movement of his muscles. One good sign was that a week after the operation, he had to be shaved because of beard growth.