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Doctors from the University of New York, as the first in the world, managed to transplant the face and both hands of a severely burned man, who was left without eyelids, ears, mouth and most of his fingers as a result of the accident. The operation lasted almost a day. Doctors talk about a “landmark event” and USA Today about a “medical miracle”.
- As a result of a car accident, 80 percent. DiMeo’s body surface was badly burned
- The injuries were so severe that his fingers were amputated, his lips and eyelids removed. Scars on his face and neck restricted his range of motion
- In August last year, the man had his face and both hands transplanted at the same time. The operation lasted 23 hours
- On February 3, doctors from NYU Langone Medical Center announced that the transplant was successful (before doctors decided to announce success, they had to be sure that the transplants would not be rejected)
- You can find more such stories on the Onet homepage.
“After 20 operations he could barely use his hand”
The misfortune happened in July 2018. Joe DiMeo, 20, fell asleep at the wheel of a car while returning home after a night shift. He was pulled out of the burning wreckage by an unfamiliar passer-by, shortly afterwards the car exploded. The man survived, but 80 percent. the surface of his body was severely burned.
For over four months, the man was treated in the burn ward of a hospital in New Jersey, and for over two months he was kept in a pharmacological coma. The injuries were so severe that his fingers were amputated (reduced to just nodules), and his mouth and eyelids were removed. The scars on his face and neck even limited his range of motion, and even partially covered his eyes.
«After 20 operations, he could barely use his hand. (…) His face constantly reminded us of that terrible day »describes USA Today. A donor was sought for him.
Joe DiMeo lost a lot of blood in the accident, so he had a new blood transfusion. The body responds to the change by activating the immune system and producing antibodies. Only about 6 percent. of people around the world had an adequate immune profile to prevent DiMeo from rejecting a transplant. The donor must also have a similar skin color.
And yet it worked. On Wednesday, February 3, doctors from NYU Langone Medical Center announced that the face and hand transplant for 22-year-old DiMeo was successful. The operation itself took place in August last year. Before doctors decided to announce their achievement, however, they had to be sure that the transplants would not be rejected. They have gained it now.
- Dr. Zembala: we broke the Polish record in the number of heart transplants
USA Today on transplant: a medical miracle
The coronavirus pandemic may have thwarted surgery plans. The number of organ donors fell sharply, and many members of the operating team that were to transplant the patient were temporarily assigned to work in emergency departments. Nevertheless, the search for a donor continued, and the team of doctors was still ready for the operation and repeatedly rehearsed its course. Joe DiMeo waited 10 months for a suitable donor – the body was transported to the hospital on August 10, two days later DiMeo was already in the operating room.
Fot. East News/ AP Photo/Mark Lennihan
– We had to avoid infection, we had to carry out the operation as soon as possible, we had to implement all the most modern technologies that would ensure the full success of the operation. That’s exactly what we did, says Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez today, head of the team that carried out the unprecedented operation. If the operation was not performed properly, the patient was in danger of death.
A team of over 140 specialists raced against time, transplanting DiMeo with both hands down to the middle of the forearm. His face was also transplanted, including his forehead, eyebrows, ears, nose, eyelids, mouth and skull line, cheek, nasal bone and chin. The entire procedure took almost a day. After 23 hours of surgery, DiMeo is on track to regain life as a recipient of the world’s first successful face and hand transplant.
After 45 days of intensive therapy and a two-month rehabilitation, the man learned to open new eyelids, move his new hands and smile. Writing about Dimeo’s story, USA Today called the effects of the transplant a “medical miracle”.
Joe DiMeo: There is always light at the end of the tunnel
The surgery should enable the man to carry out normal activities, including getting dressed and eating by himself. However, it will not be possible without intensive rehabilitation. “The requirements for him are greater than for any of our previous facial transplant patients,” says Dr. Rodriguez. – Joe, however, is completely focused on his goal, which is to gain more independence and freedom.
Asked at the conference how he felt in the last few months of rehabilitation, DiMeo said it was like he had been given a “second chance at life”. “There is no excuse not to be motivated or not to participate in therapy,” he said. – It’s a bit like you’re a child. You just keep exercising your hands until they get the skill to do things. he spoke.
– I want to share my story to give people hope in the world. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. You must not give up – he said at the Wednesday conference. – I would also like to honor my donor – nothing that happened would have been possible without his sacrifice. Thank you.
It is worth quoting the words of Dr. Rodriguez, who recalled: “We always start the operation with a moment of silence, to honor the donor family, respect their great loss and never forget about the donations made,” he said at the conference. – In all these operations it is important to remember that someone has to lose their life so that others can go on.
In the past, two simultaneous face and hand transplants have been attempted. Unfortunately, it will not end happily. One of the patients died due to infectious complications. The second had to remove the transplanted hands – the body rejected them.
‘We have been successful in a huge endeavor that shows that we can continue to take on new challenges and expand the field of transplantation,’ said Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, who has performed at least four face transplant surgeries himself at the conference.
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- Transplants in Poland – what does it look like today?
- «My husband gave me the kidney. Thanks to this I got my life back »
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