Charla Nash’s amazing recovery by face transplant

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Charla Nash, who was mauled by a chimpanzee, revealed her new face to the world Thursday through the hospital where she underwent the transplant. A Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) plastic and orthopedic surgery team, led by Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, performed a full face transplant on Charla Nash, the Connecticut woman who was mauled by a chimpanzee in 2009.

The face transplant procedure was performed late last month. It is the third full face transplant procedure performed this year at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. A double hand transplant was also performed, however the hands failed to thrive and were removed.

Consent for the donation of the tissue graft from the face was obtained by New England Organ Bank staff after conversations with the donor family.

“When our work on this face transplant project began, we knew it would depend on consent for donation from some amazing donor families who would seek to help others even as they experienced their own personal grief. We have since had the honor of working with four donor families who have made this donation decision. Their strength and generosity are an inspiration to all of us,” said Richard S. Luskin, CEO of New England Organ Bank.

“It’s wonderful to see how Charla’s recovery has progressed as she continues taking steps toward her new life,” said Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, director of the BWH Plastic Surgery Transplantation Program. Pomahac led the team of more than 30 physicians, nurses and anesthesiologists in the full face transplant procedure, at the time the third full face transplant in three months at BWH.

Source: Brigham and Women’s Hospital, USA


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