When you combine the two big operations, it can be a challenge," said Dr. "Hand transplants and face transplants are big operations. The donor can be as much as 20 years younger or up to 10 years older than the recipient and must have the same blood type and similar skin color and texture.Įxperts not connected with the Boston case said it was medically riskier than previous transplants, but not unethical. The name of the donor was not disclosed to maintain her family's privacy. “She will be looking like someone a little different than she was before the accident, but different than the donor.” “From what we know, she will not resemble the donor,” Pomahac told Curry. Pomahac predicts that the donated tissue will eventually conform to Charla’s underlying bone structure, allowing her look something like she did before the attack. And the whole unit was transplanted on Charla.” “But we also took the nerves that power it and provide sensation. “We took tissues from the donor that included the skin and underlying muscle of the entire face,” he said. “The complexity, logistically and surgically, I think makes it the most challenging thing we can do these days.” “Transplanting a face and hands together is basically an unparalleled quest,” Pomahac, Charla’s lead surgeon, told Curry. Her doctors say they can try again when new donor hands become available. They were removed.īut overall, her recovery and future look excellent. Unfortunately the hands failed to thrive as she struggled with pneumonia which led to low blood flow to her new hands. Nash had been keeping her injured face veiled to avoid alarming others, while hoping for a face transplant.Īfter 'the most challenging' surgery, complicationsīecause doctors transplanted not only a face, but also two hands at the same time, Charla’s surgery last month was a medical first in the United States.
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