On Thursday, surgeons at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston performed a 17-hour procedure that completed the second partial face transplant in U.S. history. According to CNN.com, the patient had lost the "bony structures of his mid-face, including his nose, hard palate, and his overlying soft tissues, such as the upper lip." Although the injuries were not life-threatening, they were very traumatic.
Seven plastic surgeons were involved in the procedure.
To perform the procedure, doctors first had to find a donor who matched in age, skin color, and tissue characteristics of the patient. Chief plastic surgeon, Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, believes that it is a 60% chance that the patient will look like he once did.
Prior to the operation, the patient underwent several years of psychiatric therapy and was explained the major risks associated with the surgery.
Risks from the surgery include clotting, which would occur within the first 24 hours of the operation, and infection, which would surface within the first 10 days of the operation
The first partial face transplant took place in December at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio where a woman was able to repair 80% of her face.
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