In terms of medical technology, science has come a long way in the last few decades. The first-ever face transplant surgery took done in Amiens, France, in 2005. Since then, approximately 40 operations have taken place around the world. However, a 64-year-old man became the world’s oldest person to undergo the procedure in August, and his new look is nothing short of remarkable.
It was seven years ago, Maurice Desjardins lost his nose, lips, jaw, and teeth following a hunting accident, involving an accidental gunshot that left his face severely disfigured.
He was in chronic, severe pain, was forced to wear a tracheostomy, and had constant sleeping, breathing, eating, and speaking problems despite five reconstructive surgery. Social connections became more difficult as well, so the man, who was described as a natural extrovert, began to isolate himself instead.
But after getting the country’s first face transplant, the 64-year-old Canadian man who was injured in a hunting accident seven years ago can now chew, smell, speak, and breathe normally.
His doctors believed that the only way to completely repair his teeth, two jaws, nose, facial muscles, nose, and lips, as well as his hope for a normal life, was to undergo a face transplant.
The surgery, led by plastic surgeon Dr. Daniel Borsuk at H’pital Maisonneuve-Rosemont in Montreal, Canada, took place in May. The 30-hour operation required the expertise of multiple specialists and the exceptional collaboration of more than 100 health professionals, including doctors, nurses, and many other personnel.
The transplant was made possible via an organ donation managed by Transplant Québec and carried out with the donor’s family’s agreement.
It was the first successful face transplant in Canada, while the patient is the world’s oldest face transplant recipient.
“This delicate operation is the result of years of concerted, meticulous work by an incredible team and the incredible bravery and cooperation of the patient and his family,” Borsuk said. “Through the combination of science, technology, engineering and art we attempted to build on the knowledge and experience of the pioneers in the field to perform the best facial transplant possible for our patient.”
According to the University of Montreal, the successful transplant was not just the first in Canada but in the Commonwealth as well, and this was thanks to the efforts of Dr. Borsuk and the entire team at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont. Worldwide, the procedure is still considered complex and rare with only 40 done in various parts of the world since 2005. But despite its complexity, it is actually a less expensive option for patients as compared to having multiple reconstructive surgeries that would be needed in the attempt to fix complex injuries.
Reconstructive face transplants may involve the transplantation of the skin, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and even bone, so as to help restore basic functions that were lost, and may also restore the patients’ ability to express non-verbal communication such as smiling or frowning.
The medical team was comprised of nine surgeons: in plastic surgery, Dr. Daniel Borsuk, Dr. André Chollet, Dr. Dominique Tremblay, Dr. Jenny Lin, Dr. Charles Guertin, and Dr. Michelle Tardif; in ear-nose-and-throat surgery, Dr. Tareck Ayad and Dr. Akram Rahal; and in maxillofacial surgery, Dr. Jean Poirier.
But medical expertise was part of the reason why the operation was a success. Many partners also contributed to this immense undertaking, starting with the donor and his family, who, thanks to their generosity, gave a man a chance at a more normal life, Borsuk said.
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