La Fe hospital in Valencia was the venue for Spain’s first face transplant.The operation took 15 hours and was carried out by Dr Pedro Cavadas.The identity of the 43 year old recipient has not been revealed.It is thought that the man has had a massive cancerous growth on his face and together with radiotherapy treatment his face was destroyed to save his life.
The donor was a 35 year old man who lost his life in a car accident.The procedure involved over 30 medical specialists.The procedure involved the reconnection of nerves ,veins ,arteries and other important tissues.After 8 days the patient is said to be doing well and the hospital staff are confident that the face will not be rejected.However the man will need to be on medication for the rest of his life.
Another patient ,this time a 40 year old woman ,is on the waiting list for a face transplant.She has suffered serious burns to her face .Those who are eligible for this surgery must be aged 18 to 50 and be resident in Spain and have full entitlement to state health careTheir original faces must have been totally destroyed by illness or accident.They have to be non-smokers,not suffer from diabetes and not have any heart conditions.Once the operation has been donethe person must continue to be a resident of Spain.
