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Maryland Team Completes Most Extensive Face Transplant Yet

Posted by timothy on from the but-he-only-wanted-a-nosejob dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A 37-year-old man injured in a 1997 gun incident has been given a new face, teeth, tongue and jaw in what doctors say is the most extensive face transplant ever performed. The transplant was performed at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The first full face transplant was performed in France in 2005, on a woman who was mauled by her dog. In a review of the first 17 cases since then, it was found that the overall survival rate after face transplant was 88%, with only two deaths."

9 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. Sample size by SJHillman · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Although 15 out of 17 successes is pretty hopeful, it's a pretty small sample size to be giving statistics (88% survival rate). If the next one they do results in a death, then it drops to 83%... a fairly big change for adding a single case.

    1. Re:Sample size by Thanshin · · Score: 4, Funny

      If the next one they do results in a death, then it drops to 83%... a fairly big change for adding a single case.

      I think they're aware of that, and they'll make a special effort to not kill the next patient.

    2. Re:Sample size by million_monkeys · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If the next one they do results in a death, then it drops to 83%... a fairly big change for adding a single case.

      I think they're aware of that, and they'll make a special effort to not kill the next patient.

      But if they don't kill the next one, their survival rate only goes up to 89%. So they gain 1 percentage point if they succeed, but lose 5 if they fail? With those lopsided odds, it seems the logical choice is not to risk it.

  2. About the dog by mawe · · Score: 5, Informative

    Just wanted to add the little detail that the dog that was involved in the 2005 incident didn't attack the woman. Out of context this sounds like a horror movie.

    The woman's been unconscious on the ground and the animal seemed to be trying to wake her up. More can be read on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabelle_Dinoire

    --
    I'm afraid Mary is dead.
  3. Re:Just so we're all clear by psmears · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A guy who shot his own face off is a deserving recipient of hundreds of surgeon-hours of reconstructive effort, right?

    That's great news: I presume that it means that we've already fixed every birth defect in every innocent infant, yes?

    So... you're saying that experimental surgical procedures should only be carried out on certified-100%-deserving angels?

    --
    Need to type accents and special characters in Windows? Use FrKeys
  4. Re:16,666... transplants by Theophany · · Score: 3, Funny

    I think you just accidentally math.

  5. Re:Just so we're all clear by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 2

    Also, given the apparent 12% chance of dying horribly, which infants are you volunteering for the surgery?

    The one that sat behind me on the last flight, kicking and screaming the whole damn time. In fact, I'm feeling so generous that I'll volunteer the kid's parents too.

  6. Abbreviation... by coinreturn · · Score: 2

    Can we abbreviate face transplant to faceplant?

  7. Scary cellphone pics by GlobalEcho · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I had dinner last week with my brother-in-law (who repairs hands, e.g. by replacing a patient's mangled fingers with some of their toes) and one of his mentors, who happens to have done one of the successful face transplants. When guys like these ask if you want to see the pictures on their cellphones, it is best to refuse. Trust me on this.