A hospital in Spain has achieved an important medical breakthrough by performing the world’s first face transplant using tissue from a donor who had received medical assistance in death – a procedure that will be legal in Spain from 2021.

The operation, which is considered a medical milestone, was performed at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona on a patient who had experienced severe damage to facial tissue due to infection, which had impaired essential functions. including breathing, eating and speaking.

The transplant enabled partial reconstruction of the patient’s face and began her functional recovery, reports Euronews.com.

Dr. Joan Pere Barret, head of Plastic and Burn Surgery in Vall d’Hebron, led the surgical team of nearly 100 medical professionals, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and specialists in microsurgery, immunology and mental health.

According to him, this type of surgical intervention requires extensive preparation and lifelong follow-up care, as it involves the transplantation of skin, muscles, nerves and bone structures, along with ongoing immunosuppressive medications to prevent tissue rejection.

The hospital emphasized that the procedure followed rigorous ethical and legal protocols and acknowledged the generosity of the donor and her family as essential to making this medical breakthrough possible.

Source: prizrenpost