Tales from the Tabs
‘Face that doctors built: Gun accident victim shows off world’s first full facial transplant’
The Daily Mail this morning reports on the first ever full face transplant recipient public appearance. Medical staff in Barcelona yesterday unveiled ‘Oscar’, a 31-year-old Spanish farmer, who participated in a press conference that charted his 4 months of progress in the city’s Universitari Vall d’Hebron.
Oscar had been horribly disfigured in a shooting accident five years ago, and had difficulty breathing or speaking properly. After two years of planning, 30 doctors performed a 24 hour operation on the brave recipient, which included complete facial skin and muscles, eyelids, nose, upper jaw, cheekbones and teeth.
During yesterday’s press conference Oscar stated: ‘I’m very happy to be here and I wanted to express my gratitude to the hospital and medical team and to all donors in Spain, especially the family of the man whose face I received.’
