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First face transplant, one year later
PARIS (PL).— Isabelle Dinoire, the French woman
whose face transplant operation shook the world last
year, continues to recover satisfactorily and plans
to return to work in 2007, it was learned here.
Despite her explicit desire not to appear in the
media, the scientific interest surrounding her case
has prompted its evolution to be followed, at least
in the most discreet manner possible.
That
case of Isabelle Dinoire, 39, brings together
significant factors, given it is the first face
transplant in the world, and apparently was
successful, breaking through existing barriers in
that respect in other nations.
On
November 27, 2005, a team led by professors
Jean-Michel Dubernard and Bernard Devauchelle,
grafted onto Isabelle’s face the triangle formed by
the nose, lips and chin of another person, given
that her own were seriously damaged in an attack by
her dog.
The
donor of the face was brain dead at the moment of
her operation.
In a
recent scientific meeting, one of the surgeons who
operated on the woman stated that she is physically
active and hopes to go back to her job as a
secretary in her neighborhood next year.
All
indications show the part of her face that was
transplanted to have integrated well with her facial
tissue and body, but Isabelle must take
immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of her life to
prevent the graft from being rejected.
The
patient’s reinsertion into social life is also going
well, as demonstrated by her interest in returning
to work.
However, her recovery process has been a long one
and not exempt from complications, as was to be
expected.
Isabelle is talking and communicating well with
others, despite having some difficulties in
pronouncing consonants. She has been eating with her
mouth since shortly after her operation, and has
feeling in her face, more than what was hoped for,
the experts said.
In April of this year, it was learned that a Chinese
man had been given a face transplant after having
his own practically destroyed in a bear attack, and
in the UK, the green light has been given for the
first operation of that type when conditions are
right.
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