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AFP News â€" 17 hours ago



These photographs released by the University of Maryland Medical Center shows before and after images of Richard Lee Norris, a full face transplant recipient who was injured in a 1997 gun accident.

A US man who lost his lips, nose and teeth in a 1997 gun accident has received the most extensive face transplant to date, according to doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Richard Lee Norris, 37, had undergone several life-saving and reconstructive surgeries after the accident but had limited use of his mouth and, before the surgery, appeared as though his lower face and nose had been mashed in.

In a 36-hour operation on March 19-20, doctors at the US medical center carried out "the most extensive full face transplant completed to date, including both jaws, teeth, and tongue," the center said.

"The transplant included all facial soft tissue from the scalp to the neck, including the underlying muscles to enable facial expression, and sensory and motor nerves to restore feeling and function," chief plastic surgeon Eduardo Rodriguez said in a statement.

"Our goal is to restore function as well as have aesthetically pleasing results," he added.

Norris had spent the past 15 years living as a recluse, wearing a surgical mask and only shopping at night in order to avoid the staring of others, according to a report by MSNBC.

kalooy.  glad he went on with his life.  cases like this are the ones that make plastic surgery a must, not mere vanities.

luoya pud intawon sa iyang kahimtang. must be a difficult life during the last 15 years.

Quote from: islander on March 29, 2012, 10:14:06 AM
kalooy.  glad he went on with his life.  cases like this are the ones that make plastic surgery a must, not mere vanities.

Hmm, maybe we need more doctors to specialize in this field...

Quote from: Mike Ortega Ligalig on March 29, 2012, 10:17:12 AM
luoya pud intawon sa iyang kahimtang. must be a difficult life during the last 15 years.

Maayo gani kay wa siya abtig suicidal depression...

i can imagine what he went through and what he had to do day in, day out to avoid such demons.  he's very brave.