This may be one of the most incredible feats in recent medical history. This Monday, doctors announced that the most extensive face transplant ever undertaken had been successful.
It was done by staff at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, on Patrick Hardison from Senatobia Mississippi.
He’s a firefighter, and his face and scalp were left permanently disfigured in September 2001 after a search-and-rescue mission in a burning home. The roof of the building collapsed on him, taking out his eyelids, ears, most of his nose, his lips, his hair, and his eyebrows.
The face transplant consisted of a brand new set of ears and ear canals, chin, cheeks, and entire nose. They also transplanted eyelids and blinking mechanisms.
The doctors are especially proud of the eyelid transplants, which Eduardo Rodriguez, professor of constructive surgery, said “is a major milestone—one that could lead to preserving vision in future patients.”
It took 26 hours to complete the procedure, and took a team of 100 doctors, nurses, technical, and support staff. Staff used 3D-printed, patient specific cutting guides from the CT scans of the donor to get a good “fit” for the skeleton.
The donor was David P. Rodebaugh, whose family agreed to donate his face, heart, liver, and kidneys after he died in an accident in Brooklyn when he was 26.
Though there have been successful face transplants before this, none have been this extensive.
In 2012, a gun attack victim had his jaws, teeth, and tongue replaced. Last year, a woman from Vermont whose husband doused her with lye had a face transplant.
Hardison is speaking out about his procedure to give hope to other victims of burns.
“I am very excited to share my story to help others,” says Hardison, “especially fellow firefighters and members of the armed services who have been injured in the line of duty.
“I am deeply grateful to my donor and his family. Even though I did not know who they would be, I prayed for them every day, knowing the difficult decision they would have to make in order to help me. I hope they see in me the goodness of their decision.”
The family seems to think so. Nancy Millar, his mother, says, “We decided to honor David’s decision to donate his organs—so that others like Patrick Hardison can live on in his memory and benefit from his generosity. I wish Patrick and his family all the best as he embarks on a new life.”
