In a Wednesday news conference, Cleveland Clinic surgeons who conducted the nation’s first partial face transplant described the surgery that took place at the clinic two weeks ago. The surgery performed at Cleveland Clinic was the first of this type done in the United States and the fourth in the world.

 

A team of eight surgeons transplanted bone, muscle, blood vessels and nerves in the 22-hour operation. The patient was a woman whose name and age were not released because her family wanted the reason for her transplant to remain confidential. At the patient’s request, the clinic did not release details about what caused her disfigurement.

 

Dr. Maria Siemionow, who was in charge of the operation, said 80% of the patient’s face was replaced with facial tissue from a dead donor with permission from her family. According to doctors, the woman responded well to surgery and there were no signs of her body rejecting the tissue. The patient is expected to eat, speak and breathe normally and even smell again, the doctors said at the news conference. The woman must take special drugs that suppress her immune system so her body won’t reject the donor tissue.

 

The world’s first face transplant was performed in France three years ago. The recipient was a 38-year-old woman whose face was disfigured when she was attacked by a dog.  

 

Experts warn of possible psychological side-effects associated with transplant surgery, which may include remorse, or problems of dealing with a new identity.

 

“Our patient was called names and was humiliated,” Dr. Siemionow said. “Children ran away.” “You need a face to face the world,” she added.