1st Us Face Transplant Patient Able To Breathe, Eat, Smell Normally
Plastic surgery, commonly known for cosmetic procedures like breast augmentation
and tummy tuck is making headlines for the reconstructive benefits it provides to many patients. According to US News, the woman in particular who underwent the first facial transplant in the United States can now smell, taste what she eats and breathe through her nose.
Nearly a year after the surgery, blood vessels from the transplanted tissue have integrated with existing tissue, the patient has had no significant complications and her sensory and motor abilities, including the ability to speak, continue to improve, Newport Beach plastic surgeons say in the November/December issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
And according to leading San Diego plastic surgeons, this pioneering case really does open up new frontiers both for transplanting more of the face and for offering it to individuals with previous reconstructive failures. Connie Culp, a mother and grandmother from Unionport, Ohio, was shot by her husband in a failed murder-suicide attempt in 2004. The shotgun blast destroyed the middle part of her face, including her nose and nasal passage, upper jaw and cheeks, and she lost her sight.
Tampa plastic surgeons explain that although there were three face transplants performed worldwide before Culp's -- and a total of about seven to date -- Culp's "near-total" face transplant was among the most extensive ever performed. The surgery replaced much of the soft tissue of her face, the bony structure of the palate (roof of the mouth) and her upper jaw.
Making the surgery even more challenging, the transplant was a "salvage operation," done after Culp had endured 23 failed attempts at reconstructive surgery. According to Pasadena plastic surgeons, the earlier operations caused extensive scarring and destroyed blood vessels, further complicating an already difficult task.
In related news from the same journal, researchers from the University of Texas Medical School found that rib cartilage from human donors is an alternative to the patient's own rib cartilage in nasal plastic surgery. Though the patient's own rib cartilage is the preferred choice, it's not always suitable, researchers write. A review of medical records of 357 patients who underwent nasal plastic surgery using irradiated donor cartilage found a complication rate of 3.25 percent, no greater than the complication rate when the patient's own cartilage was used. Irradiation decreases the chances of rejection, according to the study. During an average follow-up of nearly eight years, about 94 percent of patients reported being satisfied with their appearance, ability to breathe and quality of life. For more information on facial as well as body contouring plastic surgery, contact your local plastic surgeons to learn more.
by: americastopsurgeons
Skin Care Ingredients For Better Of For Worse? Ladies In Glasses Can Be Sexy----tips On Making-up The Top 6 Most Fab Hairstyles Ala-hollywood Celebrity Top 10 Designer Bags That Rock The Apparel World How Are Hair Extensions Applied? Want A Quick New Style? Try Hair Extensions. Choosing The Best Hair Extensions. Creating A Beautiful Look For Your Wedding Day Plastic Surgery: Choosing An Appropriate Plastic Surgeon Preserving Beauticians' Health--top 3 Hazards To Avoid In Your Beauty Salon Wrinkle Treatments For Your Eyes Does Your Forehead Tell Your Age? Beauty Skin Care And Home Remedies