Face transplant experience from China

According to Mr. Hong Chi Kien (HongZhiJian) ​​- Doctor, foreign orthopedist, head of expert group " Transplantation of heterosexual organization on the face " of the General Military Hospital of Nanjing, since 2003, Trung China has begun clinical preparations and performed face transplant surgery.

Prepare "ingredients" for face transplants

Facial transplant surgery beyond the transplantation process, the first thing to be solved is the "taking the material" problem, need to get the complete face skin with enough subcutaneous fat, arteries, veins, even nerves, while ensuring the supply of blood, now, this technique is completely feasible.

Diagram of face transplant surgery conducted by Chinese experts

Dr. Hong Chi Kien's group has carried out the autopsy surgery, identified the incision, the subclass, for example, which organizations under the skin can be removed ., will basically perform from the hairline to the temples, straight down to the chin. During an anatomical experiment, they found out that if the skin was involved, it could not guarantee blood supply.

During the experiment, the eye skin is the most difficult to perform, because the skin texture is very small, thin and separating the floor is very important, if the skin is too thick, the eye after surgery will be raised, if it is too thin guaranteed blood supply.

Face transplantation requires the entire face of the donor to be collected within 6-8 hours after death.

The subject group took the "material" on the new body within half an hour, the longer part was spent on cutting and fixing the facial skin after obtaining it. Because the skin organization can only tolerate anemia for a limited period of time, it is necessary to try to complete the vascular transplant within 10 hours.

In some other countries that have previously done face grafting on animals, they grafted a black rat's face onto the face of a white mouse, resulting in the white hair of the white rat still growing as usual. . This result is only for reference, because the human face structure is unique.

After ensuring blood circulation, skin organizations have survived, resolving the restoration of the expression ability of the face is a difficult problem.

Orthopedic face after surgery

First, it depends on the degree of deformity of the patient's face, followed by the living condition of the transplanted skin organization, the donor's skin organization and the rest of the patient's skin must be connected automatically. Of course.

If the skin is 5mm thick, after successful and waiting for inflammation, the face thickness can be restored as normal. If the skin is not good, the swelling is 15mm thick, the expression of deep muscle inside will be difficult to express because of leaning on muscle. If the whole procedure goes smoothly, basic expressions such as smiling will not matter.

After surgery, in a short period of time, there may be a vascular occlusion causing skin necrosis, which is a problem that can be encountered in microscopic surgical surgery.

In addition, the face is an external organ so it is easy to get an infection because the wound is not closed.

The biggest danger to face transplant surgery is the postoperative rejection response, which is a problem that face transplant recipients will have to face for life.

Within a few days to 1-2 months after surgery, if there is an acute rejection, it can still be controlled with medication. However, if there is a chronic rejection reaction, medication control is not very effective, more serious can cause the skin to become necrotic and peel off. This phenomenon is currently only solved at a level if the surgery fails, then repair with normal orthopedic surgery.

The rejection response will be accompanied by lifelong immunotherapy, and there will be side effects. Currently, the control of side effects of drugs only stops at a safe level, does not affect the lives of patients.

The new face after surgery will keep 60% of the patient's face and 40% of the donor's face. For patients with normal burns, do not risk doing this major surgery. This surgical method should only be used for patients who have a car accident, severe burns, animal bites or facial tumors with malignant tumors.

Tuyet Nhung