Another face transplant performed in Boston

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, was gravely injured in the fall. Still heavily sedated, he’s on the road to recovery with vigilant doctors monitoring him for both infection and signs of rejection.

A spokesman for Brigham and Women's Hospital where the operation was performed said the team of surgeons, nurses and anesthesiologists led by plastic surgeon Dr Bohdan Pomahac laboriously worked to replace the man’s nose, palate, upper lip, and some skin, muscles and nerves with those of a dead donor.

Kevin O’Connor of New England Organ Bank, who worked with a donor family to provide the organs and tissue required for the transplant, stated, "Advances in transplantation only happen when there are individuals and families who can see past their own tragic circumstances and agree to donation."

Disclosing some facts about the case, Pomahac stated that man’s injury few years ago had deprived him of teeth, palate nose and lips.

Pomahac declared that “It was difficult for him to speak, to eat, to drink. It certainly caused a lot of social problems.”

The man had been under treatment for a while, and though his injuries were not life threatening the deformity was severe. Hence Pomahac decided to pursue a face transplant. It took around three months to find a suitable donor.

The doctors had frank discussions of the risks involved in the surgery with the patient. As a part of the procedure, he went through several counseling sessions with psychiatrists prior to the operation and shall continue with them regularly for now.

The operation that started at 1:15 on Thursday morning lasted 17 hours. A 35-member surgical team tried to follow the underlying facial structure without making an attempt to re-create the face of the donor. However Dr. Pohamac stated that there was a fair chance he will resemble his original self.

"The operation is now over, but the healing has just begun. This is not a life-saving, but this is a life-giving procedure. It's really difficult to live without a major part of the face -- the social interactions, the ability to eat, drink, the ability to talk -- all those are severely impaired," said Pomahac.

This Boston surgery is the world’s seventh face transplant. The first in U.S. was performed in December at Cleveland Clinic. Nearly 80 percent of a woman’s face was transplanted after she suffered intense facial deformity. The woman was able to breathe through her nose, smell, eat solid foods and drink from a cup once the surgery was completed.