A firefighter whose face was burned beyond recognition 14 years ago has received the “most extensive” face transplant in the world to date, according to NYU Langone Medical Center, which performed the surgery.
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“His surgery sets new standards in facial transplantation and will serve as an wonderful learning tool”, said Rodriguez said in a statement “I am particularly encouraged with the success we have achieved in transplanting David’s eyelids and blinking mechanisms to Patrick”.
The surgery, announced on Monday, took place in August at the NYU Langone Medical Center.
In September 2001, 27-year-old volunteer firefighter Patrick Hardison was in search of a woman who was believed to be trapped in a house that was on fire in his small MS town.
“We also have a very strong psychology group that goes to evaluate the patient in the field – in other words, the home town – to determine the amount of support in the community, physician support and pharmacy support”, says Rodriguez.
The surgery was made possible through the donation of a face by David P. Rodebaugh, a registered organ donor who was killed in an accident in Brooklyn. Roderiguez said one of his colleagues in France attempted a similar more complex face transplant previous year, but the patient died.
“This is a major milestone – one that could lead to preserving vision in future patients”, Rodriguez said. The roof collapsed and his entire face including his lips, eye lids and ears were burned.
Hardison’s surgery would take two days.
In 2010 in Spain, the world’s first full facial transplant surgery was performed on a 31-year-old farmer who accidentally shot himself in the face.
The man with the new face is now starting over and reintroducing himself to his wife, five children, mother and siblings.
For the rest of his life Hardison will take immunosuppressant drugs so his body does not reject his new face.
While the medical team initially meant to flawless the procedure to help wounded soldiers and first responders, Rodriguez said it will also be available to help severely injured persons without other options.
The procedure has been outlined in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
“There are myriad ethical issues too, and we mustn’t loose sight of the complexities by just celebrating a successful transplant operation”.
“They’re excited to see me”.
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Eventually, “a casual observer will not notice anything that is odd” in Hardison’s new face, which will blend features of his original face and the donor’s, Rodriguez said.
