Thank you, says man with first entire face transplant

The man who underwent the world’s first full face transplant spoke publicly for the first time Monday, to thank those who had rebuilt his features.

Four months after pioneering surgery following a hunting accident in which he shot himself in the face, the 31 year-old braved the cameras.

"I’m very happy to be here and I wanted to express my gratitude to the hospital and medical team and to all donors in Spain especially the family of the man whose face I received," said the patient, identified only as Oscar.

The words, spoken falteringly through a stranger’s lips, were hard to understand.

But they were evidence of the success of a 24-hour operation to give him a chance of a normal life for the first time since 2005.

Before the surgery, Oscar, who is reportedly a farmer, had been unable to swallow, speak, eat or breathe properly. Nine attempts to rebuild his face had failed and he spent five years with a gaping hole where his mouth and nose should have been.

But on March 20, doctors in Barcelona transferred new cheekbones, skin tissue, facial muscles, teeth, palate, skin, nose, lips, jaw and eyelids. It took 30 surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and other medical experts at the Vall d’Hebron Hospital.

Many of them appeared with him as he was discharged from hospital.

Doctors said his appearance did not closely resemble the donor, whose identity is secret, but combined their features.

Oscar was flanked by his sister and Dr Joan Pere Barret, head of the surgical team.

"He has readily accepted his new face with no difficulty," said Dr Barret. "A few days after the operation he saw his reflection and was able to recognize himself."

He said Oscar could drink and eat soft food and that his speech was improving. He could move his eyebrows, upper eyelids, jaw and cheek muscles but could not yet shut his eyes.

Oscar is expected to regain up to 90 per cent of his facial movement within 18 months.

"He is still a bit swollen," said Dr Barret. "I felt for him today and we are all incredibly proud."

Oscar’s sister said the family was anticipating his homecoming. "He is looking forward to doing the normal little things in life again, things like walking down the street without people looking at him five times," she said.

The world’s first partial face transplant was carried out on a French woman, Isabelle Dinoire, in 2005 after she was mauled by her dog. Since then 12 partial face transplants have been performed across the world. Last month French doctors also carried out a full face transplant.